The Substitute
by fermataoso
Summary: His eyes scanned her again, and he smirked. "Well, you clearly didn't dress up for Boq. Not with heels like those. Sex-y."
1. Motivations

AN: I promised myself I wouldn't post a story until I'd completed it, but I can't resist. Please help keep me honest if I start lagging on the updates again. Thanks for reading.

* * *

"For the last time, I'm not going."

"But Elphiiiiie!" Elphaba rolled her eyes as Galinda pouted. "You have to!"

"I most certainly do not."

Galinda fluttered her eyes. "I really want you to come with me. How can I have the perfect party without my dearest roomie?"

"You'll have Fiyero, and all your other friends. You'll be so busy, you won't even notice I'm missing."

"Oh, Elphie! Of course I'd miss you." Galinda flounced over. She bounced Elphaba's bed as she settled beside her, arms thrown around her bony shoulders. "Please, please, pretty please?"

Her cajoling was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Galinda bobbed back up. "Fiyero," she paused for a peck as she swung open the door, "tell Elphaba she has to go to my party."

Fiyero turned his long-lashed eyes on Elphaba, a hopeful smile lighting his face. "You're going to the party?"

Elphaba refused to blush. "Of course not."

He crossed the room, and only her extreme strength of will kept her still as he sat next to her. "You should. It'll be fun."

"Fun?" she repeated stupidly. Her brain had abandoned her with its endless repetition of the fact that Fiyero in all his gorgeousness was on her bed.

"Yeah. Come on, you know you want to go." He knocked into her shoulder with his own, and she crashed into the wall.

Stupid non-reacting brain! She would have covered her face if her hands hadn't been pinned underneath her. Fiyero gave her an odd look, but mercifully didn't laugh. She scrambled up before he could offer to help. She hardly needed that extra embarrassment as the final nail in her coffin.

"You okay?"

She brushed off his concern in a desperate attempt to pretend it never happened. "Yeah. Fine."

Galinda fluttered back, lipstick in hand, and squealed at Elphaba's clipped words. "You're going? Oh Elphiiiie!" She bounded over and hugged her friend tightly. "I'm so excited! It's going to be great. It'll be perfect. Oh, Fiyero, thank you for convincing her. You're the best."

He chuckled, which, Elphaba refused to notice, caused little dimples in his cheeks. "Thanks, but I don't think I've actually convinced her yet."

Galinda's face fell like a kicked puppy. "What do you mean? She said fine."

He started to explain, but Elphaba cut him off. "Alright, I'll go." Galinda's face beamed an irresistible smile, but Elphaba forced a frown. "But for the record, only under extreme coercion."

Fiyero leaned over, his face hovering toward her ear. "Oh, you haven't seen the half of our coercion." She focused on her breathing, a suddenly difficult task as her spine melted into so much putty. He grinned. "Be glad you gave in before we had to be _really_ persuasive."

"Yeah, glad," she muttered weakly, but he had already returned to Galinda's side.

* * *

Elphaba flopped her head down on her arms. "It's not fair."

"Hand me that beaker," Boq ordered without any sign of comfort to his fallen comrade.

She huffed, but complied. "I don't want to go."

"Then don't."

She sighed. "But I have to."

"Then do. Give me a pipette."

She passed it to him without lifting her head. "This sucks."

Boq handed her the now used pipette to throw away. "Why did you agree to go if you hate it so much?"

She made a face. "I got strong-armed."

"You? Strong-armed? Impossible."

Elphaba hopped off the stool, gesturing wildly. "You don't understand. Galinda looks so sweet and little and harmless, but she's surprisingly conniving."

Boq shot her a look.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean, Galinda's perfect. She's a beautiful angel."

He resumed pouring the solution into the graduated cylinder. "I take it then that Fiyero was involved."

"No!" She couldn't hide her blush. "What makes you say that?"

Boq scoffed, but said nothing.

"Regardless, I'm stuck going." She settled back at her perch and turned the page absentmindedly. "I hate parties. Particularly Galinda's. I always get stuck huddled in a corner trying to read a book in the dark while some drunken idiot either feels me up or thinks I'm a tree and tries to pee on me."

"Well, if Fiyero invited you, why don't you just stay with him?"

She frowned. "He's too busy being dragged around to all Galinda's friends."

"So go with someone else."

"Who? I don't have any other friends except, well, you."

Boq reached past her to read the next set of instructions, deliberately ignoring her sudden smile. "Okay, test tube."

Elphaba held it behind her back. "Boq, my dear, sweet friend?"

"No. Give me the tube."

"But I didn't even ask-"

"I'm not going to that stupid party. Give me the test tube."

She handed it to him with a pout. "You would abandon a friend in need?"

"Yep."

She crossed her arms. "I would think you'd jump at the chance to ogle Galinda for a night."

Boq spared a glare.

"Come on, Boq. You have to. I'm desperate."

"I see that."

She did her best to mimic Fiyero's failproof puppy dog look, though her hollow cheeks and pointed chin hardly did it justice. "Please? Remember when you had to pass that test, who tutored you?"

He bit his lip. "You did."

"And who picked you up after that prank?"

He sighed.

"And when those guys dunked your head in the toilet before class pictures, who made sure they paid for it?"

"Fine. You win. I'll go with you."

She squeezed the munchkin in a one-armed hug, which clicked his tubes together ominously.

"I'll go if you will. Out."

"Thanks Boq, you're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me one."

* * *

Elphaba resisted the urge to tug at her hair. If she undid Galinda's handiwork, the blonde would drag her mercilessly through another two painful hours to fix it. Instead, she fidgeted with her hem, which was far too close to her fingertips for her liking.

Where was he? It was 8:37, a full seven minutes late, which for Boq meant something devastating. That boy was so prompt it was almost a disease.

Then there was a knock. Finally.

"It's about time you got-," she lectured as she opened the door, only to stop in her tracks.

Avaric sauntered in, his eyebrow raised. "What are you talking about? It's only 8:37. I might as well be early."

She crossed her arms. "What are you doing here? And who said you were invited in? Get out of my room."

"Is that any way to treat your date?"

"Date? In what alternate universe would I ever even remotely consider dating you?" She wrinkled her nose. "You're the most disgusting, foul creature I have ever met."

"Trust me, you're not exactly filet mignon here." She scowled, and he smirked back. "I'm only here for the paycheck."

"Paycheck? For?"

"Taking you to the dance." He flopped onto her bed, hands behind his head.

"I'm not paying you. Ugh! And get up before I have to burn the sheets."

He stood with a smirk. "Oh, not you, Sweet-cheeks. Boq is. That way he doesn't have to take you."

"What?" Her face crashed. She didn't even bother to correct his blatantly unacceptable nickname. "Why would he…? He didn't want…"

Avaric softened, an almost believable hint that he might have a spark of humanity after all. "He said to tell you that he got held up. He felt really bad. He knew you wouldn't want to go by yourself, so he sent me."

"And that's better?"

His face degenerated back into a sneer. "You're more than welcome to go on your own." Elphaba's jaw crept forward. "I'm going regardless, so why don't we just go to the party separately, together. Then I still get paid, but you are spared the unbearable annoyance of my presence."

She considered him a moment. "Fair enough."

"Then speaking as purely an objective observer and certainly not as your date, you look kind of nice." His eyes swept down her. "Even a little hot, you know, if you weren't green."

She glared. "As if I care what you think."

"So who do you care about?" He sat with legs propped on her desk. "Obviously you dressed up for someone."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She knew better than to signal even the slightest discomfort or vulnerability with Avaric. He could sense any insecurity like a shark could smell blood.

His eyes scanned her again, and he smirked. "Well, you clearly didn't dress up for Boq. Not with heels like those. Sex-y."

She blushed quite against her will, and redirected her embarrassment into a venomous retort. "You're more than welcome to them. You probably walk in them better than I do. I'd be a little shocked if you weren't concealing women's underwear at this exact moment."

"You're more than welcome to check."

Her blush deepened. "Not for all the silk in Gillikin."

"So who is it then? To whom do I owe the privilege of this wardrobe?"

She'd been crossing her arms so hard that they'd fallen numb, so she unfolded them with considerable effort. "No one."

He stood and leaned over her. "You mean to tell me that you independently elected to wear these clothes?"

"Of course not." She inched back. "Fine. If you must know. It's all for Galinda."

Avaric leaned back, a lewd expression smoothing his features. "You have the hots for your roommate? That is such a turn-on."

Elphaba's jaw dropped as her cheeks burned. "Of course not!" She hissed, despite their lack of an audience. "I just meant Galinda made me dress up. For her party."

"Yeah." He directed a shrewd look through her. "But there's some reason you agreed to it. Otherwise wild horses wouldn't get you squeezed into a fantastic dress like that."

"Fine. Then I'll just change." Galinda would have to forgive her. Elphaba couldn't possibly stand a night even on a non-date with Avaric in a dress that so often drew his eyes toward parts of her that should (so obviously to her now) be covered.

He grinned. "Go right ahead. Need me to undo your zipper?"

"Not with you in here!"

"Well, I'm not leaving." When he didn't budge, she grunted a frustrated sigh, snatched up a conservative frock and stormed toward the bathroom.

He intercepted her easily. Each step forward, he met with a step back until they arrived at the bathroom door. With his back pressed against the door, she couldn't reach the knob without pushing aside his hip. "Move."

"Not a chance."

She glared. "What do you care, anyway?"

He smirked. "I don't. But you wore it for some reason. I want to know what it is."

"And I want you to move."

His hand slipped against her waist as the other liberated her of the replacement dress. "Well, then I guess you could say we're at an impasse."

She shoved away from him. "Fine. Let's just go. The sooner we get there, the sooner I'm rid of you."

He nodded toward the door, and she gathered her purse on the way to the door. "Must be one lucky son of a-"

"Can't you ever shut up?"

He leaned in as he opened the door, and she shifted at how closely he invaded her personal space. His fingers brushed aside her hair as his lips dipped down to whisper in her ear, "Nope."

She shoved his away and stormed through the open door. This would be the longest night of her life.


	2. Chez Auliv

Elphaba stormed past Avaric as he held the door for her and barely resisted the urge to slam the carriage door on his fingers. He gave instructions to their driver and climbed inside. Despite the room offered, he took the seat beside her. She shot him a pointed glare, but he just draped his arm across the back of their seat.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He slipped his arm onto her shoulder and tugged her into her side. "Cold already, Snookums?"

She shoved him off and abandoned her seat for the one opposite.

His eyes traced the hem of her skirt. "That's fine. Better view now, anyway."

"Must you torment me?"

Avaric lounged back. "Is my appreciation really such an nuisance? I thought that was the whole point of all the effort. To garner male approval."

Elphaba flushed. "Not a chance. And certainly not yours, at any rate."

"On the contrary. Any dress that highlights such obviously marketable features is meant to hook some poor bastard. Especially with legs like those." He lifted the corner of his mouth. "And let's face it: I'm hardly the worst a girl could do."

She pursed her lips. "You're a pig."

"Oink, oink, baby."

The carriage pulled to a stop, and none too soon. Elphaba hopped out of the carriage without a second glance. Only when Avaric's body loomed behind and blocked the door to the carriage did she realize her mistake.

"Where the hell are we? This isn't where the party is."

Avaric gave a shocked groan. "We can't go straight to a party at nine. That's pathetic."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. What was I thinking?"

He nudged her forward and paid for the carriage. "Don't worry, Honey Buns; that's why I'm here."

She wheeled on him. With her sharp finger pointed right into his chest, she advanced until he stumbled over the curb. "You better watch it."

He played innocent. "But isn't that what you were upset about a minute ago? I'm supposed to keep my eyes to myself."

"You're…you're…you're…" She stomped back to the sidewalk in the hopes the distance would regain her cognitive abilities. "You're the most impossible, infuriating person in the existence of the planet."

Avaric tucked his hands in his pockets. "At least I'm the best."

"Ugh!" She stalked away, forgetting she was in heels, and the effect was ruined when she tipped sideways.

Avaric appeared beside her in a flash with a steadying arm. "Whoa, not so fast. I'd rather you fall for me without breaking your ankle."

"Oh, shut up." She pushed him off and leaned against the nearest building. She crossed her arms. "As much as it pains me to say it, thanks, I guess."

Avaric's smile seemed to gain a little sincerity. He tipped his head in a pseudo-nod. The tenuous truce lasted until Avaric slipped his hand to the small of her back. She started to argue, but he directed her down a cross street.

"Traffic is awful here. I always have them drop me at that corner, but I forgot about your heels. I hope it's not too painful."

"The only thing painful about tonight is your presence."

He gave her a sideways look. "Well, that was a little uncalled for."

She blushed. As much as she hated being called out by him, he did have a point. She shrugged. "Reflex."

"Not exactly the way I'd choose to test your reflexes." His hand dipped lower on her back, just an inch past gentlemanly. She jerked away with a scathing look, and he chuckled. "If I'm going to be insulted, I might as well deserve it."

She opened her mouth to retort, but something about his brighter eyes told her that he'd only rise to the challenge. She settled for stalking ahead until he caught her arm.

"Where are you going? This is the place."

She stared at him, skepticism lining her face. "You made reservations at the Chez Auliv. Today." She knew the famed place from Galinda's very vocal wishes for Fiyero to propose to her there.

"Not exactly."

"Well, you couldn't have done it sooner. I didn't even agree to go to this thing until yesterday."

Avaric smug smile grated on her nerves as he gripped her elbow and tugged her in. She tried not to make a fool of herself gaping at the decadence dripping from every inch of the lobby. From the gold fountain to the silk cushions, the entire place oozed wealth almost dismissively. It suited Avaric to a T.

He strode to the maitre d'. "Two, my good man."

"And the name of the reservation?"

"No reservation." Avaric's confidence didn't falter in the slightest at the man's sneer, though Elphaba felt herself trying to blend in with the artwork.

"Sir," condescension thickening each word, "I'm afraid we are unable to offer service without a reservation. You might try the McMunchkin's down the street."

Avaric leaned forward conspiratorially. "I'm an exception."

"I'm sorry, sir, but…"

Avaric waved him off, an amused smile tugging at his face. "You don't know me?"

The man raised his eyebrows with cold, calculating eyes. "Should I?"

From the dining room, a man bustled over, his smooth, elegant attire at odds with his near panicked expression. "Master Tenmeadows! To what do we owe the honor?"

Avaric turned a mirthful face to their recent arrival. "I wish to take this beautiful lady to dinner." Avaric indicated Elphaba with a tilt of his head. "I was told there was no availability?"

His amusement did nothing to assuage the anxiety in the larger man. "Of course, sir. I'll prepare our best table for you at once. I apologize for any inconvenience." The daggers his eyes sent toward the maitre d' had the snooty man bumbling his own apology. Elphaba felt a sudden stab of pity for him.

After the other man gave some frenetic orders to his staff, Avaric called him over. "Elphaba, I'd like you meet Master Fraugun, manager of the Chez Auliv." She managed a smile and bobbed her head in acknowledgment. "Master Fraugun, this is the very brilliant and talented Miss Thropp."

The manager dipped low in a bow and kissed her hand. "A pleasure, madam."

She nodded uncertainly. Avaric directed another smooth smile toward Fraugun. "Our table?"

"Of course, sir!" The manager skittered away to bark orders at his staff, and Elphaba crossed her arms.

Avaric leaned over to whisper smugly, "My family owns the restaurant."

She rolled her eyes.

For the first time since they'd arrived, his smile faltered. "What?"

She snorted derisively. "You needn't be such a brat about it, bossing around managers and embarrassing the maitre d' that no doubt operates under the rules your family's given him. This whole episode was a show for whose benefit exactly?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her eyes.

She clicked her heel absently. "Fine. We get it. You're rich and spoiled and bratty. Can we move on?"

Unfortunately, the manager misinterpreted her irritation as a result of the wait rather than the company, and after a look at her heels, he doubled his threats to hurry his employees. He wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead and scurried over. "Master Tenmeadows, I deeply apologize for the wait."

Avaric glanced at Elphaba and offered, "Not at all, Fraugun. I should have informed you of my intentions."

His attempt at reassurance only widened Fraugun's eyes. "Oh, no, sir. Of course not," he stammered. "It is, naturally, our duty to be available at your whim, sir. I do apologize. It will not happen again." He sent a desperate look toward their table and sighed. "Ah. Your table is ready, sir, madam. If you will?"

He gestured for them to proceed, and Avaric led Elphaba to the table directly in front of the cascading fountain. Elphaba's stomach dropped at the proximity to water, but she'd rather die than admit her discomfort to Avaric.

When only one menu arrived at the table, Elphaba narrowed her eyes, but she had to credit Avaric for handing it to her. She'd expected the arrogant brute to order for her. The waitress politely recorded her order and turned to Avaric.

"The usual, Master Tenmeadows?" The woman's smooth voice held about as many promises as her hand on Avaric's shoulder. She bent forward to indicate a particular wine they'd just arrived, orchestrating just the right angle to expose her cleavage. "Excellent choice, sir."

Elphaba couldn't help watching his reaction, but Avaric gave no sign of encouragement. Even when the gorgeous waitress stood, a strategically placed hip pressing into Avaric's side, his face held a fully blank expression. The waitress directed a flicker of a scowl at Elphaba and swished off to the kitchen. Their appetizers arrived moments later via a different waiter.

"This is delicious," she mumbled around a mouthful of brie pastry. Avaric leaned forward on his elbows, obviously pleased. "Aren't you going to have any?"

"Perhaps I'm saving my appetite."

She nodded. "Your loss."

"Hardly." He reached over to snatch her half-eaten pastry, and she swatted his hand away. "I see you're not at a loss for appetite. Certainly not with what you've ordered."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did you expect me to have? A salad?"

"Well, most women care about their weight. Obviously you don't." He popped a cheese puff whole in his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elphaba bristled. She fell so far to the lean side of the weight scale that the only way to go further would be to lose some bones.

He shrugged and captured another cheese puff. With a meaningful look, he devoured the second pastry. She crossed her arms.

"I see. You're just trying to play mind games with me. Well, I have news for you, Master Tenmeadows," she spit out his name with enough sarcasm to flood the ocean, "you couldn't beat me in a match of minds if I were unconscious." She claimed the rest of the pastries and stuffed one in her mouth whole, a perfect imitation of him.

He eyed her lips. "Finally found a way to shut that big mouth of yours, did I?"

"Jerk," she mumbled around the cloying cheese.

He smirked. "What? I'm sorry, Greenie. I couldn't quite understand you."

The waiter chose that awful moment to arrive with their dinners. She chewed frantically at the pastry, but with her mouth still full, she could only smile her thanks. Avaric turned to the man. "You'll have to excuse my friend. She doesn't get out much."

The waiter's cool eyes flickered over her again, and she flushed. What horrid luck she had tonight. She chugged at her water in the hopes of clearing the monstrous bite. "Not at all, sir. She's more than welcome." He turned back to Avaric. "If that is all, sir, might I refresh your drinks?"

Avaric's face darkened for a moment, but he nodded. Finally freed from the pastry, Elphaba muttered her thanks to the waiter as he refilled her drink.

"Certainly, miss. Do you require anything more?"

"No." Avaric dismissed the man with a wave. "We're fine." He waited until the man left to say, "I see I'm not the only one to appreciate your outfit this evening."

She looked up from her plate to frown at him. "What are you talking about?"

"The waiter. Don't tell me you didn't notice him eyeing you."

"You're delusional." She rolled her eyes and resumed slicing her truffles in miniscule bites. No chance she would make that mistake again this evening.

"Me?" He leaned forward. "Oh, I see. Fine. Just don't think you're fooling anyone with this pretended naivety."

"What in Oz are you talking about?" she bit back. "Just eat your dinner so we can go."

She couldn't wait to get away from this cretin and back with Fiyero and Galinda. She fought the urge to daydream that her dinner partner had a different face. A taller bearing. Longer hair that fell in his eyes. Oh, and eyes with beautiful long lashes that swept against said hair like butterfly wings whispering-

"Elphaba!"

She jerked her head up hard enough for an audible pop. "What?"

His brow furrowed, Avaric stared at her. "What's wrong with you? I've been calling you forever."

She rolled her eyes. Elphaba hated hyperbole. "Really? Forever? That must have been awkward before birth."

"Whatever. Are you ready to go?" He waved the bill to prove how long her lapse in concentration had lasted.

"Thank Oz! How much is my share?" She rooted around in her purse for her wallet, but Avaric scoffed.

"What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" He made a face and slid several bills into the slick leather sleeve. "Seriously. How much?"

"I've got it."

Elphaba scowled. "Why? So I can owe you? Not a chance."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, Boq's paying me to take you out, which I'm only in the broadest sense actually doing. The least I can do is use part of his money to pay for your dinner. So if you owe anyone, it'd be Boq, fine?"

She hesitated, and he held up the half-full envelope.

"Promise. It's on Boq's dime. I can even bill him if you'd rather."

An unusually catty streak led her to say, "If you own the whole restaurant, why would you make Boq pay? That's hardly gracious."

"You're one to say. And if Boq shouldn't pay, why should you?"

Her hand found her hip as she stood. "I don't need any handout from you."

He stood to mirror her, arms crossed. "And I don't need your money. Drop it. You're making a scene."

"And?"

He grunted in frustration. "Fine. You can embarrass me in my own restaurant if you must, but I'll be damned if you're going to give me one cent of your money."

She leaned forward aggressively. "Why? Suddenly it's not good enough for you?"

"Yeah." His matching lean brought him right in her face. "Too green. You know how it is."

She fell back as if slapped. Fraugun skittered over at the commotion until he caught sight of Avaric's flushed face. He froze mid-step, a still-life portrait of anxiety.

"Can we?" Avaric jerked his hand toward the door, and Elphaba snatched her purse.

"Gladly." She tossed a handful of bills onto the table despite Avaric's glare and stalked past him toward the door. "And give that manager a vacation. He looks so stressed, I'm surprised his heart hasn't exploded."


	3. Ozdust or Bust

AN: Thanks for all your reviews on the last chapter. You guys are beyond awesome.

* * *

The rattle of wheels filled the silence as the coach swayed down the cobbled roads. Avaric jiggled his foot until he knocked Elphaba's purse over. "Could you stop that?"

"Sure. If you'll take your damn money back."

"Jerk."

"Shrew."

The Ozdust emerged beyond the carriage's curtained windows. "Oh, blessed Unnamed God, we're finally here."

Elphaba leapt out before the wheels fully stopped, and Avaric tossed a wad of bills at the driver. "Hey!" He jogged after her and caught her elbow. "You're still stuck with me until we get in. Before and after."

"After?"

"When we leave."

"I'm not going home with you!" She twisted out of his grasp, and he pursued her across the pavement.

"Fine with me." He closed his eyes to reign in his frustration and, with a measured patience, he said, "As long as I know you'll get home safe. I won't have Boq hounding me for you getting yourself into trouble when you're supposed to be my responsibility."

She glared. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He held out her purse with a smug arch to his eyebrow, and she snatched it back. "Fine."

She spun away from Avaric and seethed.

They stood as far apart as humanly possible while still in the same line. The tension could not have been more obvious as they waited, and only sheer avoidance kept them from killing each other. At last, they reached the door. She reached for her money, but Avaric slapped her hand away. He passed enough for both above her head, oblivious to her frustrated huff.

One step in the door, Elphaba wheeled on Avaric. "Fine. We're in."

"Great."

She stormed off, but he dogged her steps. She reeled on him. "I don't need a babysitter."

He grimaced a smile and nodded toward the bar…right in the direction she'd chosen.

"Ugh. I should have known you'd head straight for some sort of vice."

"Lucky for you, you don't have to deal with me any more until you leave." She flicked a sarcastic salute. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more pleasant company waiting in those bottles."

He stormed off to the bar as she scanned the crowd for Galinda's telltale bobble of curls.

"You came." The throaty voice in her ear sent her heart into overdrive. Avaric had so flustered her that she'd been oblivious to her surroundings.

A smile crept into her voice. "I heard somewhere that you could be very persuasive should I refuse."

Fiyero circled to face her. "I suppose I'll have to wait to prove it."

Elphaba giggled, much to her own embarrassment, and Fiyero grinned. She cleared her throat. "You've no idea the hardships I've endured to get here."

"Oh, really? I feel so privileged." He pulled her out of the way of two partygoers, and Elphaba's brain stuttered at his touch. He stared at her expectantly. "Well?"

"Huh?"

He touched her nose to refocus her. "What awful obstacles did my poor Elphie face?"

"Oh. Ugh." She made a face. "Avaric."

Fiyero blinked. "Avaric?"

Even mitigated by Fiyero's presence, a bubble of bitterness tore through her. "Apparently I've become his ward this evening."

Fiyero's hand tightened its grip on her wrist. "What are you talking about? What did he do?"

The intensity of his reaction surprised Elphaba, and she found herself defending Avaric. "Boq paid him to escort me here. Long story. It's not Avaric's fault really. He's just such an awful human being."

Fiyero relaxed. "At least you don't need to see him any more tonight."

"Yeah," her head inched toward his shoulder, but she resisted. "Not until I leave. I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to staying at a party."

And his brow furrowed. "Until you leave?"

She shrugged. "He's my ride."

"Uh, uh." Fiyero's eyes darkened, and she felt a shiver slip down her spine. "No way in hell am I letting Avaric take you home. You're going home with us."

"Okay," her voice small against the depth of his. His arm felt so warm as she leaned into him. So protective. "You don't think Galinda will mind?"

"Course not. Not with you in such certain peril."

"I wouldn't say that." But at the concern in his eyes, she shut her mouth. He could think whatever he wanted as long as he stayed like this.

"Elphie!" Galinda launched into a hug that brought her squeal direct to Elphaba's ear. "You came!"

"I said I would."

Galinda held Elphaba at arm's length and cooed, "You look downright glamified. Doesn't she look fantabulous, Fiyero?"

"Quite."

His one word sent her blushing more than her entire evening with Avaric's crude comments.

"Oh, this is the most perfectest party I've ever thrown ever." Elphaba cringed at the grammar, but smiled at her bubbly roommate. Galinda turned to Fiyero, "I promised Pfannee and Shenshen that we'd be right back. Do you want to come with us, Elphie, dearest?"

The offer was genuine, but Elphaba grimaced at the thought of Galinda's airheaded friends. "No thanks. You go on ahead."

Galinda shot her a sympathetic look and turned to Fiyero. "Ready?"

He ran his eyes over Elphaba's face for a sign of dejection, but she'd already schooled her features in a model of confidence. "We'll be right back."

She waited until Galinda had hauled her boyfriend away to sigh. Off to the corner. Elphaba dug her book out from her purse, and frowned. A large wad of loose bills nearly spilt all over the floor. "Damn Avaric!"

"I see you can't keep me off your mind."

"And this night keeps getting better," she muttered under her breath. Elphaba spun around to face the rat. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. You're the one calling my name."

She scoffed. "And I suppose that summoned you all the way from the bar. What are you, a genie?"

"Kinky," he licked his lips. "I suppose if you'd like."

"What I'd like is for you to drop dead."

"Ouch." He put a hand to his heart. "That's a little rough. What did I do to deserve all this hostility?" She held up the wad of cash, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that for a while."

She shoved the money at him. "Here. Take it."

"No, Elphaba Thropp." He backed up and played toward the onlookers who'd turned to stare. "I will not take money to date you."

She slammed the money back in her purse and smacked him hard in the shoulder. "Ass."

She stormed over to her corner, Avaric in pursuit, and he slouched against the wall beside her. "So I figured it out."

"Why you're such an unbearable cretin?"

Avaric smirked. "Nope. Who you wore the dress for."

She rolled her eyes. "And?"

"It's Fiyero, isn't it?" He grinned in triumph, but she shook her head.

"I've never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life." Despite her denial, she couldn't help locating Fiyero across the crowded club. Galinda touched a hand on his arm, and he leaned his head down to her. Elphaba watched them whisper, her lips pressed together to suppress her unproductive thoughts.

"Riiiight." Avaric's gaze followed hers, and he leaned back on his elbows. "I guess he's not such a bad guy."

She scoffed. "Compared to you, who is?"

"Don't you ever stop the insults?"

"Don't you ever stop deserving them?

"I'll take that as a no." He shoved away from the wall and grabbed the book out of her hand.

"Hey!"

He flipped through a few pages, wrinkled his nose, and handed it back to her. "Obviously you're very busy. I guess I'll leave you to it then."

He vanished into the crowd, leaving her mercifully alone with her book. She did her best to distract herself with its vivid prose, but her attention kept drifting across the room to where a real life prince twirled a pink confetti princess around the dance floor.


	4. Cinderella and All That

"What now?" Elphaba sighed, "Can't you give me even a modicum of peace?"

"Thought you could use a little comfort."

She stared at the drink in Avaric's outstretched hand like a viper. "I'd rather drink battery acid."

"It's not poisoned." When she didn't move, he downed the concoction in a giant gulp.

"Lovely." Her eyes rolled. "Now can you leave me alone?"

He plunked down beside her, and she scooted as far into the corner as she could. Avaric stretched, his arms languidly extended inches from her eyes, and settled back against the wall. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes.

She pressed her lips together...waiting. She had never been a particularly patient person. It was a miracle she lasted two minutes before she snapped, "Can you-"

"Sh!" Avaric held his finger to his lips, and she huffed.

"Fine. Sit here. See if I care." She stared at the book, but even his breathing grated on her. She found herself wishing Fiyero would come liberate her from Avaric's obnoxious presence.

But a glance around the room revealed him twirling Galinda around to the bass-heavy music. No chance of rescue, it seemed. Avaric caught her gaze. "Are you planning to do something about it or just stare at him all night?"

"Why do you bother talking when it's obvious you have nothing to say?"

"Come on." He stood and dusted his pants with his palms. "This is too pathetic even for _me_ to tolerate seeing you."

Her eyes narrowed at his outstretched hand. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, but you'll have to get up to dance."

"Dance?" She wrinkled her nose. "Why would I possibly want to do that?"

"How else do you expect to accidentally bump into him? Or do you plan to nurse this pathetic infatuation from the corner all night?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I thought you were bright." He tugged her up like a sack of potatoes. "Come on."

Panic set in as he hauled her toward the dance floor such that she forgot to plead ignorance. "But he has a girlfriend."

"And?"

"And she's my roommate."

"So?"

Elphaba wrenched her hand from Avaric's grasp. "Cut it out," she hissed. "Even if I was …interested," she whispered the last word like a particularly foul obscenity, "I'm not about to steal my best friend's boyfriend."

"Can't steal what belongs to you." Avaric pulled her into his arms. "Either he wants you, or he doesn't. Best to find out sooner than later, right?"

She struggled to slip away. "Better to let sleeping dogs lie."

"Fine." He wrapped his arms more securely around her and whirled them in time to the music. "But isn't this more fun than sulking in that corner?"

"No," she pouted. As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. The atmosphere on the floor infected her with an energy that barely outweighed the fact that her partner was Avaric.

Avaric sensed her surrender and slipped closer. "See?" he slid his hand to her hip. "It's not all bad, is it?"

A reluctant smile broke free before she caught herself. Elphaba shook herself out of Avaric's arms. "I hate dancing."

He lifted an eyebrow and tugged her back against him. "Didn't seem like it a minute ago."

"Well, I do. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Avaric grinned. "Maybe you've never had a good enough partner."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he spun her into a low dip that knocked the breath out of her. Wide-eyed and heart pounding, Elphaba gaped up at him. He pulled her up flat against him.

Avaric smirked. He closed her shocked-open lips with his thumb and forefinger, and didn't remove them. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Elphie?" She felt a large, warm pair of hands settled on her shoulders. "Is this guy bothering you?"

She blinked at Fiyero, trying to remember how to form words.

Avaric took the opportunity to sneer. "Hardly. Just showing her a good time. Is that a problem?"

Fiyero single laugh held more threat than mirth. "Mind if I borrow her, Ric?"

"Sure," Elphaba breathed even as Avaric refused.

"We're dancing, here." Avaric's hand tightened on her waist, and Fiyero strengthened his grip on her shoulders. She felt like a rag doll caught between two toddlers.

She struggled free. "I do have nerve endings, you know."

Fiyero rubbed the back of his neck, but didn't take his eyes off Avaric. "What do you say, Elphie? Wanna dance?"

"Sure," Avaric wrapped his arms back around her. "That's what we were in the middle of, so why don't you leave us to it?"

She shoved him off again as Fiyero bit out, "You had your turn. Why don't you share?"

Definitely toddlers.

Avaric raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that's rich coming from you. Don't you have a girlfriend? Doing a little too much sharing, eh?"

"That's enough." Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm done dancing with anyone." She started off the floor, but Fiyero caught her arm.

"Please dance with me? Just one dance."

"She already said no," Avaric taunted. "Guess you're out of luck."

"Why don't you-" Fiyero threatened, but Elphaba interrupted him with an exasperated sigh.

"Oz, can't you two shut up?" She turned to Fiyero. "Let's dance."

Avaric finally broke his death stare with Fiyero to argue, but Fiyero whisked her away in two milliseconds. She held a hand to her head as Fiyero slipped his arms around her.

"Sorry." Fiyero had the decency to look chagrined. "I didn't mean to get so…confrontational."

"What was all that?"

He looked at the ground and sighed. "I don't trust Avaric very much. He's not exactly known for his honorable behavior with women."

"I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know. I do. I guess I didn't want you to have to."

As her annoyance dissipated, Elphaba became acutely aware of her position. She shifted in Fiyero's arms, but he misunderstood and pulled her closer.

"Look, I'm sorry if I overreacted. Maybe I got a little jealous."

"Jealous?"

Surely her hearing had failed. He couldn't have said that.

He rubbed his neck. "You never dance with anyone. Then I look over, and you're dancing with Avaric. Avaric, of all people!"

She shifted her hands from his shoulders to wrap around his neck. "He's not so bad," she admitted. Of course, nothing seemed too bad now that she stood two inches from Fiyero in his embrace.

Fiyero held her out by her shoulders. "Elphie, listen to me. He is that bad. You should stay away from Avaric."

"Excuse me?" She bristled. Fiyero or not, she didn't take orders. Well, she did, but not when her brain functioned properly.

Fiyero slipped his arms back around her, significantly diminishing her ability to focus. "He's a bottom-feeder. He preys on the weaknesses of girls to fulfill his own selfishness. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. Promise me you'll stay away from him."

Against her better judgment, she settled against Fiyero's chest, her face inches from nuzzling his neck. "Mmm. 'Kay." She didn't like Avaric anyway.

"Elphie?" Fiyero's voice, even softened to be discreet, rumbled in his chest. "You know I'm only saying this because I care about you, right?" She smiled, and he trailed a hand slowly through the tendrils of her hair. "You're a good friend. I'd hate to see anyone hurt you."

That one word 'friend' almost ruined it, but his breath against her cheek whispered hope. "I know. Thanks."

"Good." He kissed the top of her head and leaned his forehead against her. "You deserve better than Avaric."

"I do?" She blinked up at him, a rare vulnerability she'd later blame on temporary insanity.

He nodded, his hair brushing against her cheek. He breathed, "You do."

"Fiyero?" Elphaba jerked away at the sound of Galinda's voice. "There you are. Can I borrow…" She stopped, mid-sentence, and craned her neck around to stare at Elphaba. "Elphie? You're…you're dancing?"

Elphaba gave a nervous nod, vividly away she was seconds from death by blonde. Why had she so stupidly agreed to dance with Fiyero? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Galinda squealed, and Elphaba ducked.

"You _do_ like my parties! I knew it! I knew you would! Oh, I'm so excited!" She hopped around the pair in full perkiness mode. "That means you'll want to come again. Ooh! I should plan one next week, before you have a chance to forget how fun it was."

Fiyero caught Galinda mid-bounce. "Glin, pause." She attempted to reign in her enthusiasm, with considerable effort that is. "What did you come over here for?"

She grinned. "Sorry. I just got so excited, Fiyero. Elphaba was dancing." She hissed the last word as if it was a miracle, and Fiyero laughed.

"Yes, dear. I know." He shot Elphaba an amused grin, and she managed a shy one back.

"Oh! That's right. Fiyero, I need your help with some crates if you've got a second." He nodded and followed the peppy blonde off the dance floor. She fluttered ahead, and Elphaba could hear even halfway across the crowded room Galinda's giggly, "Dancing!"

When the music slowed, Elphaba realized that she was still standing in the middle of a dance floor, with no partner and no motivation to dance. She shuffled through the couples, only to find her corner now occupied by a pair of lovebirds. Had they no sense of public decency? She wrinkled her nose, and carefully liberated her purse and book from below the kissing couple.

"Disgusting," she muttered under her breath, and a voice in her ear made her drop her things in surprise.

"It's not so bad." Avaric smirked as she gathered her belongings in the dim light. "Again, you must have really bad luck with partners. Of course, now that I see the choices you make, I can see why."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you have anyone else to annoy?"

"It's time to go," Avaric announced. "This party's past its shelf life."

She hesitated, eyes scanning for Fiyero. "I don't know. I think it's kind of fun."

Avaric pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, yeah. Cinderella's first time to show up at the ball and blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm tired. I'm not leaving you here by yourself. So let's go."

Her hand found her hip. "I thought you were the night owl, partying until the break of day."

"Not tonight. This party blows. Let's bail already."

Daydreams of a carriage-ride home curled up against Fiyero as she 'accidentally fell asleep' vanished in a cloud of Avaric-shaped smoke. She crossed her arms. "And if I want to stay?"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her elbow. "I told you. Find a ride, or you're with me."

She jerked away. "Fiyero will give me a ride."

He leered at her. "Oh, I'm sure he would. Where is he then?" She bit her lip. "Look, I see you with a ride, or you're stuck with me. Boq would probably chop my balls off."

Her nose wrinkled at his crudeness. "Nothing's going to happen."

"I am not ditching you here, and that's final." He recaptured her arm and hauled her toward the door.

"Why do you have to choose tonight to develop a conscience?" She resisted, but he had her halfway to the door already. "Seriously. Fiyero said he would take me home."

"Yeah, sure he did. And I'm a monkey's uncle."

"Wrong animal," she hissed.

He hailed a carriage, his arm clamped around her waist. "Get in the coach."

"Elphaba!" She spun around to see Fiyero charge out of the club. He stormed up and shoved Avaric away from her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking her home, chump." Avaric got back in Fiyero's face, the two nose to nose on the sidewalk. Elphaba bit her lip as the tension became almost palpable.

"You're not taking her anywhere, " Fiyero growled, his fists balled at his side.

"She came with me, pal."

Menace glinted in Avaric's eyes as Fiyero sneered, "Maybe, but she's not going home with you." He didn't take his eyes off Avaric as he called back to her, "Ready, Elphie? You're coming with me and Glin."

She shifted her purse nervously and nodded. Avaric glared at Fiyero for another tense moment, then snarled at Elphaba, "Fine. You got your ride. I'm done." He swung into the coach, and it rattled into traffic at a near-reckless speed.

Fiyero closed his eyes and let the tension slide out of his muscles. Then he turned, a gentle smile so at contrast with that earlier aggression that it hardly seemed to contain the same features. "You ready?"

She nodded, and he slid an encouraging arm around her shoulders.

"Okay. Let's go get Galinda."

He didn't move his arm when they entered the club, or when they located the ball of pink energy she called roommate. "Fiyero! Elphaba! Wasn't tonight great?"

He forced a tired smile. "Yeah, it was good. You about ready?"

"Sure. Just let me do one thing…" She vanished into a whirl of errands that lasted at least another fifteen minutes. Elphaba fidgeted next to where Fiyero leaned against the wall.

"Sorry," she said, more to break the silence than anything else. "He didn't believe me that you offered a ride."

Fiyero's face darkened. "That guy's a menace."

She wanted to disagree, but the tightness of his shoulders told her to let it rest. "Thanks, though. For coming to get me."

He looked up, and a soft smile spread across his face. "Yeah." He leaned his shoulder into her. "Course."

Galinda found the pair in a more companionable silence when she returned, and the trio finally headed toward the carriage. Galinda sat between them on the ride home, ruining Elphaba's subtle plan, but Elphaba still couldn't keep a smile off her face.


	5. Crumpled Conversations

Elphaba penned in the next answer on the outline as the professor lectured on. Fill in the blanks? Notes had never felt quite so…pedantic.

Fiyero snuck a clandestine peek at her page, his forehead furrowed. She sighed and grabbed his paper.

"See," he stretched his newly liberated arm behind her chair, "this is why you're amazing."

"You say that now. You know I'm going to make you study it later."

His fingers danced on her shoulder. "Yeah, but I like studying with you. You make way more sense than Glakza."

"Master…" The professor's glasses slid down his nose as he stared at a seating chart. "Tigger. Is there something you and Miss…" The glasses clung to the nubby end of his nose, a centimeter from disaster. "Trapp would like to add?"

Fiyero glanced around. "Are you talking to me?"

"Indeed." Professor Glakza favored him with an amused stare. "And apparently I am not the only one."

Elphaba slunk lower in her chair.

"A bit more interest with phylum and less with girls, Tigger. It might encourage your meager grades a touch farther from the brink of disaster. Perhaps enough to spare us yet another year in this class."

With that, he snapped his head up, his glasses leaping back to the bridge of his nose, and resumed lecturing.

Fiyero slumped forward again. She resumed recording answers in both of their forms until even she could not keep focus on the droning monotone. She flipped through her book to work ahead.

A crumpled ball of paper skittered across the page, and she turned to lecture Fiyero for passing notes so quickly after his telling off…only to find him fully asleep. His drooping cheek caught on his palm was all that stood between him and a face-first slam into the desk.

Curious, she flattened the page and read, "I trust we've heard the last from Master Tigger, scourge of the phylum. If he'd repeated the class, shouldn't one remember his name?" She snorted before she caught herself.

Her head jerked up, and she scanned for Glakza's milky view. Luckily no one turned, but that also offered her no clue as to the author's identity.

She studied the note as if she were an amateur graphologist, tilting the paper left, and right, and even scrutinizing it under the light. Unfortunately, she could only determine that the author had a leaky pen.

She set the page down. No point drafting a reply if she had nobody to deliver it to. She returned to her double worksheets.

Another crinkly paper dropped to her desk, from the right she noticed this time. The paper rustled as she smoothed it out. "So now you're doing his work for him, too? Tut, tut. However will he learn?"

Her forehead contracted in a scowl. She scribbled out a fierce reply before she realized she had no better idea now than before who to give her piece of mind to.

She lowered her eyes in a trap for her anonymous pen pal. Sure enough, a moment later came a wadded ball rolling into her vision. She snapped her arm out and caught the hand before it could retreat.

"Avaric."

He shushed her and pointed toward their professor whose back was mid-turn. She relinquished his hand with a hiss.

"What do you want?"

"Just read it."

She sighed, heavily to demonstrate how great was her annoyance, and unfolded the ball to read, "Meet me in your room at six. We need to talk. And don't bother with the attitude. No arguments."

She opened her mouth to argue when the professor dismissed the class. The shuffling of students woke Fiyero, who fell forward with a sharp intake of breath. "Is it over?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes, "Yes, finally."

"Hey, thanks for the notes." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "You really are a lifesaver, you know." He reached for his paper, and froze at the sight of her crumpled correspondence.

His eyes asked the question that she regrettably answered, "Avaric. Guess he got bored, too."

Fiyero frowned. He confiscated the papers before Elphaba could react and scanned the scrawled words. If possible, his face darkened further. "You're not meeting him."

"Oh, not this again."

"You didn't already agree, did you?" Fiyero shouldered his bag and grabbed her books.

"Could I have my books back, or must you prove your manliness by weight in biology?"

He let her take them, but he glowered over her shoulder at the back of Avaric's head. "If he were any kind of respectable, he wouldn't be inviting himself in your room at all."

"Whatever. When do you want to go over these notes?"

Fiyero thrust his jaw forward. "Your room at six."

She rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow at four it is."

"I'm going to be there." Fiyero fell into step beside her on the way to their next building. "No way you're going to be trapped alone with him in any room with a bed."

"What happened to boys not inviting themselves over?"

"I'm already invited." Fiyero crossed his arms, but at her silence, his petulant face dissolved into insecurity. "I am invited, right?"

She stopped beside him, books clutched to her chest. She took his hand. "Yes, of course. Any time you'd like." Then she dropped it and continued on her way to class. She looked over her shoulder. "Any time except today at six."

Fiyero caught up, glaring. "You want to meet him? Why?"

"I don't want to meet him," Elphaba confirmed, "but I don't want you starting another tug-of-war like last night. You have to trust me to handle myself."

Fiyero pouted. "I didn't start anything."

"Uh, huh."

He sighed. "Fine. But I'll be right down the hall. Galinda and I will visit Shenshen and Pfannee." Elphaba shot him a sympathetic look, which he shook off. "If that jerk tries anything…_anything_…just shout, and we'll be there. I'll tear down the door if I have to."

"You don't have to." Her annoyance had melted with his sacrifice. There was no more annoying place in the planet than in Galinda's airheaded friends' room. "Really."

He squeezed her hand, and they resume their progress toward class. Halfway down the hall, Fiyero asked, "You don't think I'm really stupid, do you?"

"No." She teased, "Not really stupid."

"Because Avaric's note…"

"Can we please stop talking about Avaric?" She stared up at the ceiling. For someone neither of them liked, he sure got a lot of play in their conversations lately.

Fiyero pouted for a moment. "I don't want you to do my notes for me again." She leveled a look at him. "I can do it. Really."

"I'm aware. But won't that cut into your sleep cycle?"

Fiyero flushed. "I'm not the brainless, spoiled oaf that Avaric wants you to think I am."

"Oh, for the love of-" Elphaba grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Fiyero. I. Do. Not. Think. You. Are. Stupid. Who cares what Avaric thinks?"

A smile blossomed on his face. "You don't care what Avaric thinks?"

"Certainly not."

Fiyero pulled her to him and cupped her cheek. She stiffened, wide eyes darting at their witnesses. "But you care what I think?"

She nodded.

He kissed her forehead and released her, oblivious to the stares. "You like me better than him."

"As if that were ever an issue."

* * *

Elphaba tapped her toe and turned a page. A quick glimpse up at the clock read 6:16. Not surprisingly, Avaric was late.

It was mostly for the best, what with Fiyero's stubborn insistence on staying. It had taken her the majority of that time to convince him of her safety. At her wits end, Elphaba appealed to Galinda, who held him at bay with the business end of a lipstick and marched him down the hall.

The hand clicked over to 6:17, and Elphaba decided she'd had enough waiting. She snapped her book shut and stood. Fiyero would be ecstatic with the early rescue.

The door flew open to frame a smug Avaric. He eyed her. "Anxious, I see."

"And I see you can't be bothered to knock."

"Oh, please." Avaric lounged across her bed. "You were expecting me. It's not as if you were indecent or anything."

She perched on her desk, the picture of disapproval. "To what do I owe this odious meeting to, anyway? I assured Boq of your dutiful behavior last night. You should already have your money."

"Straight to the issue, huh?" Avaric smirked. "You're not one for much foreplay, are you?"

She refused to react.

As expected, Avaric dropped it. "I have a proposal for you."

"Oh, this should be good."

"Scoff if you must, but I think you'll want to hear what I have to say." He paused, and she waved him on with an annoyed hand. "I have an idea for your Prince Perfect."

"Fiyero?"

"Is there another?" Avaric pursed his lips. "I've been watching you two, and I simply can't take another moment of it. I haven't seen so helpless a pair since Boq and…well…anyone. You're clearly in need of an intervention."

"Excuse me? I am not interested in Fiyero. And even if I were, I would never need any help from you."

He leaned close to whisper conspiratorially. "Oh? And how's that working out for you? That innocence routine?" She scowled. "I'm guessing miserably. The only thing worse is that awful enabling."

"What?"

Avaric swooned against her with fluttery eyes. "Don't worry, Yero," his voice a high-pitched mockery of hers, "I'll do your homework. Then maybe while I'm torturing you with academics, you'll fall madly in love with me. You can propose right there in the library between the stacks."

She shoved him off. "Shut up."

"It's pathetic."

"You would know."

Avaric leveled a superior look. "Really? We're going with takes one to know one? I think you've been spending too much time with him already."

She crossed her arms. "How is this supposed to help, exactly?"

Something about Avaric's grin spoke of trouble. Serious trouble. "Do you know what men want?"

"Football and meat?"

It was his turn to ignore. "I mean, really want? What drives them?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Men want what they can't have. It's millenniums of instinct driving us to chase the most desired. The unavailable."

"That's not true."

He laughed. "Right. Is that why suddenly he's chasing you from clubs and fighting over dances? Why you've had more of his attention in the last two days than the last two years? Hell, I bet he's waiting down the hall, itching for a chance to come rescue you from the big, bad man right now."

She shifted. "You're twisting it all around."

"Uh, huh." Avaric leaned down to catch her eyes. "He's jealous. Tell me he's not."

She studied the ground. "And if he were?"

"What better way to force his hand? Play to his jealousy. If he wants you, he'll finally do something about it. Either way, you can stop this pathetic moping."

Elphaba shook her head. "What? You want me to deliberately try to make him jealous? With who?"

Avaric grinned.

"You?" Her voice jumped up an octave. "You? You're crazy."

"Think about it. What happened last night? One minute, you're dancing with me, the next with Prince Charming. Imagine if we had sex."

Elphaba grimaced. "I'd rather not."

Avaric lay back on her bed. "Here I am, out of the kindness of my heart offering my services, and what do I get? Hundreds of girls would kill for a chance to use me and make some dope jealous."

Elphaba adopted a bratty tone. "What can I say? I have a brain."

"But apparently no sense of taste."

"Why would you help me, anyway? What is possibly in it for you?" She whirled on him. "And if you think I'm going to pay you, then you're insane."

Avaric laughed. "Now that's an idea." She glared, and he sighed. "Fine. It aggravates Fiyero. That's enough for me."

"What is his deal with you, anyway?"

Avaric's jovial grin dissolved, and he shrugged.

"Okay, what is your deal with him?"

Avaric shrugged again, a sharp, angry motion that held more violence than shoulders should.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You don't say."

"I don't have all day. Are you in, or out?"

"Out." Avaric looked up, startled. He'd no doubt been so confident in his strutting about that he hadn't actually considered her sanity. "I'm not going to manipulate Fiyero into sabotaging his relationship with my friend simply to amuse you. Better luck next time."

Avaric snapped his lips shut. He stalked toward her, and she shuffled a step back only to hit the wall. His low voice drew prickles of tension along her skin. "Oh?"

Her breathing sped up despite her attempt to appear unaffected, and she shook her hair out of her face. "You can't bully me into it."

Avaric jutted an arm to coil around her waist as the other hand brushed her hair over her shoulder. Pinned, she contemplated calling the cavalry. "True." He leaned his lips to her ear. "But I can blackmail you."

"With what?" Her disdain would have sounded more convincing if her voice hadn't shook.

"How would your dear friend take the news of your infatuation? Poorly I would guess." He trailed his fingers along her throat to the nape of her neck. "Think of it this way. You're not making him cheat. You're just seeing if he would have chosen you later anyway. It'll hurt less now either way, whether for her or for you. Wouldn't a good friend what to spare the other pain?"

"You…" Elphaba searched for the words to refuse, but none came. "But…"

Avaric smirked. "And this way you finally get a good partner, which I've already seen you desperately lack. Oz knows you won't get it with Princy boy."

Her face twisted in a scowl, prepared to defend Fiyero's honor, but Avaric tapped her nose.

"You're so cute when you're out-logicked."


	6. Error

AN: Sorry about the error, and then the re-posted chapter. Chapter 6 is now posted as Chapter 7. Thanks.


	7. Two of Them

AN: Sorry about Chapter 6. I don't know why it didn't work, but here it is at last. Thank you all for the reviews. You are truly fantastic people.

* * *

"Alright, assuming I would ever be insane enough to agree to this ridiculous plan, which I am certainly not, how do you possibly expect to make Fiyero jealous?"

Avaric grinned at Elphaba and slipped his thumb across her palm. He shot a meaningful look to her lips.

Her face paled. "Are you insane? I would rather eat a live iguana that let you anywhere near me."

"Truth time or a little fun." He shrugged. "It's up to you."

She stalked to the bed, only to abandon it at the last minute. Avaric hardly needed encouragement to end up there. Instead, she propped her bony torso against the wall shelves. "What happened to notes? That seemed to work well enough."

"Please." Avaric rolled his eyes. "What should I write? 'Do you love me: check yes or no?"

Elphaba grimaced.

"Look, if you want to make him jealous, you're going to have to kiss me at some point."

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't want to make him jealous. You're the one with this jealousy obsession, not me."

Avaric sighed. "Fine. We can start small. Oz, the things I do for pretty girls." He tugged her away from the wall and interlocked their fingers together. "Is this acceptable?"

She thought a moment. "It doesn't lead me to contemplate suicide, I suppose. But that doesn't mean that I agree to this nightmare."

"Yet."

"Ever."

A pounding at the door drew both their attention. "Elphaba?" Fiyero called through the door. "It's been long enough for whatever that weasel had planned. I'm coming in."

The knob twisted, and Elphaba relaxed with her rescue imminent. As the door swung open, Avaric jerked her to him and pressed a fierce kiss to her lips before she could resist.

Time froze, as shocked to paralysis as she, and for the next eternal second, her only reaction was panic and surprise. She tried to shove him off, but she couldn't manage any leverage. Despite her struggle, her traitorous brain couldn't help noticing one thing: he hadn't been exaggerating his skill.

Then time crashed back as Avaric was ripped off her. "What the hell are you doing?" Fiyero demanded, a hand clench so tight around Avaric's arm that the fingers turned white. Avaric shook him off and straightened his sleeves.

"Kissing my new girlfriend. What's it to you?"

"Girlfriend?" Fiyero's stern eyes drifted to her. "What is he talking about?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to deny it, but Avaric pushed his way back to her side. "It's not that difficult a concept. Shall I break it down in teensy words so your little Winkie brain can comprehend?"

Fiyero brandished a menacing fist. "Shut your damn mouth, or I'll shut it for you." He managed a poorly contrived patience. "Elphie? Are you…" The word stuck in his throat as if it caused him physical pain, "_with_ Avaric?"

"I…" Her cheeks burned. "See…"

Avaric slung an arm around her waist to palm her hip. "What does it look like?"

"Insanity." The hurt look that slid in behind the anger broke her heart. "It looks like utter insanity. You never mentioned anything about…"

"Her stud muffin?" Avaric's smirk drew Fiyero's face into a snarl.

He growled, "Oz, shut up! Can't you let her speak at all?"

Avaric leaned toward him with a cocky shrug. "I really have such better uses for her mouth than that."

Before the words even registered enough to evoke her outrage, Fiyero's fist collided with Avaric's face. He staggered back, hand on his jaw, and laughed.

"I see you catch my drift. Not such a saint, then, eh? Been thinking about it?"

Fiyero's eyes narrowed to slits, and he snarled, "You have ten seconds. Start running."

Avaric returned his arms to Elphaba's waist with a smirk. "It's not exactly your room to order me out of, is it?" He brushed his lips across her cheek to whisper in her ear, "Think twice. They may believe you, but they might not. After all, you were just kissing me."

She whirled on him to argue, but he shot a pointed look over her shoulder. Elphaba scowled. She pressed her fingertips to her temples. "Ugh, Avaric, go sit at my desk like a good boy and try not to cause any more trouble."

Fiyero's eyes widened. "You're letting him stay? After what he said?"

She blushed, and Avaric started to reply. Elphaba clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sit," she hissed. "Now."

She shoved him in that direction, but he adopted a cocky air. "Gotta love a woman in charge." He mimed a bite and swaggered the rest of the way to her desk. "Nothing hotter."

She aimed another stern glare at him before facing Fiyero's scrutiny. "So it's true?" he demanded in a tone that made her flinch. "You're actually dating this piece of crap?"

Caught, she bit her lip. Her eyes darted between Avaric and Fiyero as if choosing by which poison to die.

Avaric was right. Glinda would never forgive her for trying to steal Fiyero, and even if she confessed Avaric's little proposition, she'd only seem complicit after that kiss. But Fiyero looked sincerely disgusted with her at the mere consideration of Avaric.

She settled on a compromise. "Sort of." She'd have to hope she could talk Avaric out of it, or wait for fewer witnesses to where she buried the body.

Fiyero nodded, a slow gesture that clearly meant disagreement. Without another word, he spun on his heel and left.

"Fiyero…" she called after him, "don't…"

"Should let him go," Avaric offered from his seat, and Elphaba whirled on him. "Always leave 'em wanting more."

"You shut up. I think you've done enough for one day."

His eyes traced her lips, and without his trademark sarcasm, he said, "I would sincerely disagree."

She shook her head at him, too angry to speak and ran after Fiyero. She found him on the bench outside, staring up at the sky.

Elphaba edged forward. "Fiyero?"

He didn't speak.

"Please don't be mad."

He huffed, but still held his tongue.

"I'm sorry." She sat beside him and leaned into his field of vision, her hair tickling his cheeks. "Please talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" She bit her lip, and he sighed. His finger reached up to trace her chin. "What was that? A prank? Or some colossal misunderstanding? Please say he attacked you so I can go beat the life out of him." He sat up and took her face in both his hands. "Just say you're not stupid enough to actually date that scum."

She studied the dirt on his shoe. "I wish I could say what you want to hear, but I can't."

"Why?" He stood to pace. "Why…why would you…what were you thinking? Didn't you believe me about what a creep that guy is?"

"It's not like I planned this!" He stared at her, and she gulped. "I mean…it just kind of happened."

"How does it just happen?!" She winced at the volume of his voice, and he restrained himself. "I'm confused. You said you didn't care what he thought."

She shifted uneasily. "I don't."

Fiyero's face hardened. "Clearly you don't care what I think, either, or you wouldn't be running off to kiss him."

"That's not fair!" She caught his hand, but he pulled it free. "I do care. You know that. Just because I make one choice you don't agree with doesn't mean I don't trust you. Did you ever think maybe there were extenuating circumstances?"

He folded his arms. "Like what?"

She turned her back, cursing her own rash words. "I can't say."

He spun her to face him, suspicion coating every word, "Why? What is he doing to you? Is he threatening you? I swear to Lurline I'll-"

"No." She struggled to regain her composure. "No, I'm fine. Fiyero, please, just drop this. Let it go. You're feeding into his game. He only acts this way to get to you."

"Oh, and I suppose he's all roses and candlelight and sweet nothings when you're alone." Fiyero scoffed. "Women. Born gullible."

She shoved his shoulder. "Men. Born stupid jerks." Elphaba spun on her heel. "What does it matter to you? I don't belong to you. We're not even dating. Go be a possessive brute to your own girlfriend." Frustration choked her, and she stare up at the darkening sky to regain her composure.

"We're friends," his voice softened. "I care about you."

"Yeah? Well, friends respect each other's choices. I didn't criticize your choice to sleep through class."

"But that's different. This is stupid."

She huffed and stalked back toward the dorm.

"Elphaba, wait." She shot him a look over her shoulder. "Look, you're right. It's not my place to say. I'll try to keep my mouth shut about that little worm."

His concession disarmed her and drained the support of her anger. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you."

He combed his hands through his hair and gripped it as if it were his sanity. "But I'm not happy about it."

She sighed. Boy, did that ever make two of them.


	8. Tangled

Elphaba shuffled back to her room, fighting the urge to stomp. What an awful night. At least Fiyero was still speaking to her. She shut the door and flopped against it, eyes shut and fingers pressed to her temples. Definitely a headache coming on.

"Finally get rid of him?"

Ugh, a headache named Avaric. She glared. "Why are you still here?"

"Waiting for you." He ran his eyes over her. "Can you blame me?"

"Absolutely." She yanked him up by his collar. "I blame you entirely."

He caught her hands mid-punch. "Fair enough," his voice more soothing than fairness allowed. She expected another cheesy line, but he drew a thumb down her cheek. "You okay?"

"As if you care." She wrenched out of his grasp. "Thanks to you, I'm stuck either lying to my friends or having them hate me."

"Not exactly a lie." He set his hands on her shoulders from behind. "We would be sort of dating, right? Which is what you said." He slid his hands down her arms and tangled his fingers with hers. "It's not lying. It's just looking at things a different way."

She shook free. "What a pile of bull." She whirled on him. "It is absolutely lying. And it's manipulating people I care about. And I won't do it."

Avaric raised his eyebrows at her. She crossed her arms, and for a long moment, they just stared at each other. She never backed down, and damned if she'd start now. Not on account of that giant prig.

Her left pinky twitched, and the corner of Avaric's mouth tipped up in a smirk. She tapped her toe.

"Ugh!" She stormed to her bed, annoyed that Avaric could call her bluff. He had her, and he knew it. "You suck."

He crossed to her, eyes on her lower lip. "If you'd like."

"Get away, you cretin." She shoved him away, but he caught her arm.

He tugged her to him. His eyes stared into hers as he held her against him. "You can't bully me, either."

Anger pushed her heartbeat to the limit. She was certain it was anger. The angle of light deepened the shadows on his face to highlight his cheekbones, and some remote curiosity of hers wondered if his looks were hereditary or if he obsessed as much as he appeared to.

"Leave me alone."

She expected it to sound more menacing - certainly stronger. Avaric inched closer. His forehead brushed hers as he leaned down. "Why don't you make me?"

A witty putdown was in order, but her brain spun out only useless reports of how close they stood. "Jerk," was the best she could manage.

"Tease."

She huffed. "What did you-"

His lips silenced her, and her shock left him enough time to convince her again of his unexaggerated abilities. He deepened the kiss, and she yanked herself away as the door opened.

"Not again," she sighed.

Galinda stared slack-jawed from the hallway. "Oh." Her eyes zeroed on Avaric's arms still wrapped tightly around Elphaba's waist. "Um, Fiyero?"

"Left already." Avaric smiled, and despite Elphaba's squirms, managed to keep his arm around her. "You look lovely. New blush?"

Galinda's cheek reddened further. "Oh, um, no. Just surprised, I guess. Do you…should I come back?"

"Not at all." He dropped his arm to wind his fingers through Elphaba's hand. "We can behave, right, pet?"

Elphaba grimaced as she struggled to pry off his grip. He was stronger than he appeared. Avaric caught her stare and flexed his lean bicep with a wink. She snorted.

"Elphie? Did you hear me?"

She blinked up at Galinda, who had an oddly penetrating expression. Elphaba nodded.

"So you _are_ dating?"

Elphaba stared at her, unable to offer any valid response, so Avaric filled the silence. "I'm afraid I've rendered her speechless." He ran a smug finger down her cheek. "You're so cute when you can't talk."

She scowled at him.

Avaric pressed a kiss to the top of her head and adopted a charmingly self-deprecating voice. "But I guess I should leave you two alone to talk about me, huh?" Galinda giggled, no doubt impressed with his acuity. "Do you mind if we have a minute to say goodbye?"

Galinda hopped up. "Take as long as you need. I've got to get my nail polish back, anyway."

Avaric waited for her to shut the door. "Miss me while I'm gone?"

"Hardly."

He loomed over Elphaba, but she crossed her arms. He rubbed the opposing limbs with his palms. "Just don't say anything you'd regret, okay?"

"The only thing I regret is ever letting you waste a second of my time."

He smirked and tapped her chin affectionately. "That so, love? You didn't seem to mind earlier."

"I don't know what you could possibly mean," she turned up her nose coldly. "And don't call me that."

Avaric ran his finger past her chin and down her exposed neck. "Sure thing, buttercup. Whatever you want." Elphaba pursed her lips, and Avaric traced light circles on the nape of her neck. "I just would hate for Galinda to learn something we'd rather she didn't."

"Avaric." Elphaba tilted her face to his, and his smile deepened. "There is no 'we'. Nor will there ever be. Ever."

Undeterred, he ghosted a kiss over her lips before she pulled away. "Keep telling yourself that, pet."

He untangled himself before she could shove him away, and with a wicked smirk, opened the door. "Let the judging commence."

"All goodbye'd out?" Galinda asked, and Avaric flashed a charming smile.

"For now." He winked, Galinda giggled, and Elphaba fought the urge to puke. Without further torture, he mercifully left her in peace.

Elphaba flopped on her bed heavily as Galinda bounced over. "So Avaric, huh?" Elphaba made a noncommittal noise into her pillow. "Does Fiyero know yet?"

Elphaba winced. "Um, he kind of interrupted…"

"Oh? OH." Galinda sighed. "I'm sure he took that well."

Elphaba made a face.

"Great. I don't understand that obsession with Avaric not dating you. He's not such a bad guy. Fiyero upset?" Elphaba nodded, and Galinda flopped back against the pillows beside her. "Great. Just peachy."

"Shouldn't you…"

Galinda wrinkled her nose, "Go listen to him start obsessing now? No thanks."

"But you're his girlfriend."

Galinda blinked at her. "I'm aware."

"Shouldn't you, I don't know, be there for him?"

Elphaba earned another blank stare from Galinda, and the blonde girl sighed heavily. "Aw, young love." Sarcasm from Galinda felt so wrong.

The two lay against Elphaba's pillow for a moment before her curiosity overwhelmed her. Elphaba turned on her side and adopted a falsely nonchalant air. "So why does Fiyero hate Avaric so much?"

Galinda's shrug sent ripples along the bed. "Beats me."

"Is Avaric really…"

"I don't think so." Galinda rolled to face her. "Sure, he can be a jerk, but other times, he's really sweet. And he's really cute." She leaned in to whisper, " But I guess you already know that."

"Yep." She grimaced a smile. "He's some kind of special all right." Great. Galinda would never believe the blackmailing if she bought into Avaric's charming cover story.

"Besides, people deserve the benefit of the doubt, don't they?"

Would Galinda still feel that way if she knew of Avaric's plot? Of Elphaba's secret wish for its success? How deeply she wished that Fiyero were hers, and Avaric were Galinda's problem instead?

Her roommate wiggled a little closer to giggle. "So is he a good kisser? I always wondered."

"Who? Avaric?"

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Who else? Do you have another secret boyfriend I don't know about?"

Elphaba blushed. "Of course not. That's ridiculous."

"So…" Galinda poked Elphaba in the ribs. "Tell me. And don't leave out any of the good stuff."

"There's nothing to tell, really."

"Riiight. I saw you two together." She leaned closer. "Was it as hot as it looked?"

Elphaba prayed for a swift death. "Sure. Why not?"

Galinda squealed and clapped her hands together. "Oh, Elphie. I'm so glad you finally have a boyfriend. Especially a gorgeous guy like Avaric."

Elphaba gave a non-committal shrug.

"We should go on a double date!" Before Elphaba could begin to object, Galinda held up a stern finger. "And no use arguing, or I'll just go straight to Avaric. He would so agree with me."

"But what about Fiyero? I don't think he'd be really happy about that."

"Oh, he's got to get used to the two of you together anyway." Galinda clapped her hands together. "What do you think, bowling? Or a movie?"

"Whatever." Elphaba sighed. She flopped back against her pillow and flailed an arm to cover her eyes.

Just what she needed. A night with her blackmailer turned boyfriend, crush turned jealous brawler, giggly roommate a secret away from arch-enemy, and enough subtext to blanket the Great Desert. Fun, fun, fun.


	9. Torture

Elphaba clutched her books to her chest and bit out, "We need to talk."

Avaric smirked up at her. "Is that so?" He eyed her lips. "Let me guess: alone?"

Her stern face was his only answer. He nodded and followed her to an unoccupied niche in the hall.

"We have a date tonight."

He stepped closer. "Do we?" He traced her cheek, and she jerked back. "Liked what you saw, huh?"

"Hardly." She retreated a couple steps. "Galinda expects us to double, and thanks to your little blossoming rapist tendencies, I have no good explanation to avoid it."

He crossed his arms. "Other than the obvious discomfort to both you and Fiyero? Not that I care about that ass, of course, but I'd rather you weren't totally miserable around me."

"No luck there."

He took another two steps forward and pointed a finger in her face. "And I resent that."

She rolled her eyes. "As if you didn't already know how you bothered me."

"No, not that. I understand your grumbling fine." He adopted an arrogant pose. "I'm offended by your insinuation of my character. As if I'd ever need to. I'd never have anything less than total willing consent."

"I call it like I see it."

He tapped her glasses. "Then you should get your prescription checked."

She scowled. "What would you call yesterday then? You attacked me."

His nose bumped against hers. "And you loved every second of it."

"Hardly."

He rolled his eyes. "Besides, a little kiss hardly counts."

She refused to back down, jutting farther in his face. "It does with one like that. Don't try to act like you were so innocent."

Avaric leaned back and grinned. "Baby, you ain't seen the half of it."

She crossed her arms tight against the chill his abrupt absence left. "Whatever. So you'll go, right?"

His grin deepened. "If you want me to."

She shouldered her bag. "Pick me up at seven. I'm sure Galinda will be finished torturing me by then."

He caught her arm as she pushed past. "Not so fast. If we're doing this, we're doing it my way." She shot him a stern glare, and he rolled his eyes. "For the last time, I'm not going to rape you. Oz!"

"Well you certainly don't have my consent."

"You're the one asking me out, remember?" He pressed a finger to her lips before she could argue. "Anyway, so my terms. Relax a little. Maybe have a little fun. Agreed?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"And at least pretend you don't hate me."

Numerous biting retorts begged to escape her lips, but Avaric's finger held them at bay. She forced a bitter nod.

"I don't expect a miracle, but you should probably not freak out every time I touch you." She bucked away from him, full of objections. "I'd hardly be a convincing boyfriend if I didn't."

Damn him; she wished he didn't have a point. "Fine." He released her. "But you better not try to pull anything."

His eyes narrowed. "You better drop these accusations of yours," he threatened, "or I'll give you something to worry about. We clear?"

"Way to build the trust."

"Elphaba-" he warned, but she ignored him.

"I'm just saying. Guilty conscience?"

He hauled her against him and slammed their bodies into the wall. She shrank back, wide-eyed, and automatically assessed the damage. He'd absorbed all the impact in his arms, injuring only to her pride. Still, her heartbeat refused to slow. He glared inches from her face, and she swallowed.

He pressed into her. "Drop it, Thropp." She bit her lip as he ducked to stare directly in her eyes. "Now."

She tore away from the intensity of his gaze. "Fine. Whatever."

He jerked away from her, and she sucked in a relieved breath. He didn't bother to face her as he said, "Seven," and stormed off toward class.

Dazed, she shuffled off to her next class, grateful it was one of the few they didn't share.

* * *

Seven found Elphaba in another lost argument with Galinda desperately clinging to the hope that she might be spared the stilettos. "It's bowling," she argued for the tenth time that hour. "The single least attractive sport possible. Why does it even matter?"

"My sweet, naïve Elphie." Galinda tugged hard on a lock of her captive's hair to pin it deftly against her crown. "It always matters. Don't you want to look good for Avaric?"

"Not particularly," she muttered.

"What?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. "I guess."

Galinda whirled Elphaba around to prod at her face with various applicators that she couldn't pretend to understand. "Okay. What do you think?" The blonde handed her a mirror, and Elphaba studied the finely crafted reflection blinking back at her.

"You did well for what you had to work with."

Galinda frowned. "None of that, now. You're gorgeous, and you know it. At least you should, or Avaric isn't doing his job. He should compliment you constantly." Elphaba scoffed at the thought. "Regardless," Galinda gripped her shoulders and spun her back toward the curling iron, "I must not have done well enough to convince you."

Elphaba jerked away and fled to the safety of her closet. "No, no. I'm convinced. See?" She spun in an imitation-Galinda twirl. "Yay, pretty me."

"Um, okay." She whirled to face a chuckling Fiyero framed in the open doorway. "Not that I disagree, but what have you done with the real Elphie?"

Her cheeks threatened to light afire. Fiyero winked and took his usual post at Galinda's desk. His girlfriend gave him a quick peck before applying her own lipstick and vanishing into her pre-date bathroom cocoon.

Elphaba fidgeted, newly aware of her exposed limbs and ludicrous makeup. Fiyero smiled. "Galinda?"

"Course."

"You know…" The door swung open, interrupting whatever it was he thought she knew.

"Hey." Avaric slouched against the door. He ran his eyes over her, deliberately ignoring the male presence to his right. "Let's go."

Fiyero stiffened. "You're late."

"And?"

"You really should show up on time." Fiyero's eyes narrowed. "Elphie hates tardiness."

Avaric's lip curled. "'Elphie' hates being called 'Elphie'."

"Yes," Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Almost as much as being discussed in third person."

"Whatever," Avaric crossed his arms. "I'm here now. Where's Galinda?"

"Final touches," Elphaba supplied. He lifted an eyebrow, and she clarified, "Bathroom. Give her, I don't know, between five minutes and an hour?"

"And you're getting on my case about being late?" Avaric strode over to her and hooked an arm around her waist. He leered openly at her. "So what do you want to do to pass the time?"

Barely, just barely, Elphaba managed not to shove his arm off in disgust. Fiyero cleared his throat, and Avaric grinned. She forced a half-smile more closely related to a snarl. "Behave."

Galinda emerged from the bathroom, heels clicking on the tile. "You look fantastic, Galinda," Fiyero offered automatically, and Galinda beamed. She rewarded him with a peck on the cheek.

Avaric sneered, "Heels? Aren't we bowling?"

Though Elphaba agreed, she felt a stab of annoyance for her friend. "She can rent shoes there."

"So why bother with them at all?"

"Men," Galinda sighed. She gave a coquettish shake of her golden curls. "Aren't you going to compliment your lovely date?"

Avaric gave her a quick assessment. Elphaba blushed under the collective gaze of the group. If there had been a rock handy, she'd have been under it. He squeezed her against his side. "She knows."

For the first time in her life, Elphaba directed a genuine smile at Avaric. She'd have to thank him later for not embarrassing her. Galinda shook her head in disappointment and vanished again to gather her purse.

"Well, if you won't say it, I will." She tensed at Fiyero's voice. He tugged her from her date. "You look…" His low voice sent shivers down her spine. "Fantastic. Utterly beautiful."

She smiled, even more acutely aware of their evaluating stares. "Thanks," she couldn't top a whisper. "It was all Galinda."

"Not all," he assured, and she blushed. He brushed a finger over her eyeshadow, "But you know, you don't need to wear all that."

"I agree. Far too many clothes on."

Fiyero glared at Avaric over her shoulder. "I meant the makeup. Don't be disrespectful."

"The makeup? Why not? She looks hot." Elphaba's blush bordered on needing large warning sirens and possible evacuation drills. Avaric pulled her back to his chest. "But if it makes you feel better, I could take care of some of that for you."

He dipped his lips to hers, but Elphaba coyly deflected him to her cheek.

"Oh, Avaric," her voice flat, "you charmer, you."

This date hadn't even begun, and already she wished it were over. It was going to be a long night.


	10. Even Better

Avaric's ball spun down the lane and slammed into the collection of pins. "Another strike," Fiyero scowled. "Better hope your luck holds out."

"Oh, it will." Avaric threw his arm around Elphaba's shoulders. "Got my good luck charm here."

Fiyero grunted as he retreated to the ball return. His disapproval presented so strongly that Elphaba shifted away from her pseudo-date before she caught herself. She rubbed her arms. "Still tied?"

"Yep." Galinda stared down at the sheet. "Fiyero and Avaric at least."

"How far behind are we?" The pretty blonde pulled an ugly face. "So…miserably?"

"Even added together."

Avaric set his chin on Elphaba's shoulder and his arms around her waist. "You're not bad, you know. Just need a little guidance."

"Is that so?" She arched an eyebrow. "And what makes you such an expert?"

"Besides my perfect game compared to your–"

She spun in his arms and clapped a hand to his mouth. "Alright, I get it. I guess we finally found something you're better at. Too bad no one cares about bowling."

"Sacrilege," he demanded as he freed his mouth. "And I'm pretty sure I can hold my own at some other things, too. Shall we investigate?"

She started to bite back a retort, but Fiyero sighed. "Are you two quite done? It's your turn, Elphie."

Elphaba snatched the nearest ball and advanced to the lane. A couple quick steps, and she flung the ball with what she could only hope would be enough force to frighten a few pins into surrendering early on.

The ball coasted down about half the lane before careening inexplicably toward the gutter.

Typical.

She stalked back for another ball when Avaric intercepted her. "Your form isn't terrible, really. Your timing is what's off."

"Good to know." She brushed past him and grabbed the next projectile.

Avaric caught the ball out of her hands before she could return to the line. "Here, try keeping your arm back." He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her wrist, "Like this."

A few practice swings in, and Elphaba had to admit his way felt more natural. "Fine. I guess I can try it."

He grinned by her ear. "Anything else I can help you with? Your slide motions perhaps?"

Fiyero grumbled from his seat. "Or maybe you should just choose a better ball."

She glanced back at him, and Fiyero's glare could have chiseled granite. "Sorry. Did I take yours? I never remember to check."

"Nope. That's mine, pet," Avaric purred in her ear. "But I don't mind you handling-."

"Of course." Fiyero fumed. "I knew you wouldn't last the night without a balls pun."

"It's a gift." Avaric turned to Elphaba with a roguish grin. He inched a thumb down her cheek. "Kiss for luck?"

"I don't believe in luck."

"Don't worry." His mouth hovered a breath away. "I'll believe enough for both of us."

She opened her mouth to argue, and Avaric took his opportunity. His lips dipped low to slide against hers. A trail of shivers followed his fingers as they teased her jawbone and neck. For all his faults, he was indisputably a talented kisser.

She leaned in a fraction of an inch before she caught herself, and Avaric deepened the kiss. It took all she had not to gasp as he liquidated her entire skeletal structure. She fell forward into him. How did he do that?

She nearly dropped the ball when Fiyero growled, "Can you just bowl already? Don't hold our game hostage to your hormones, Ric."

"Can you blame me? Who would possibly pick bowling over kissing this beautiful creature?"

Fiyero opened his mouth to retort, but Elphaba intervened. "Look, I'm going, alright? I'm going."

She paused a couple steps from the lane and tried to focus on the smooth, relaxed timing that Avaric had suggested - a difficult task thanks to her thundering pulse and Avaric's unfortunate skill. Focus. Concentrate. Relax. She tried a few practice swings.

"Watch your elbow," Avaric called from his seat.

"She doesn't need to worry about her elbow; it's her knee." Fiyero called to her, "Flex your knee, Elphie."

"Shoulders back, El. Nice and smooth."

"Keep your back straight."

"Not too slow."

"She's not going too slow." Fiyero grunted. "But maybe she should."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Guys!" They swiveled to face her. "Could you shut up for five seconds and let me bowl?"

She spun the ball down the lane in her closest approximation to Avaric's instructions, and it managed to topple eight pins, her record for the day.

Avaric jumped up with a shout and collected her in a tight bear hug. He twirled her in a circle twice before he set her down, grinning.

Before she could even catch her breath, Fiyero pulled her to him for his own congratulatory embrace. She froze, overwhelmed by the warmth of his arms around her. He dropped a kiss to her crown and squeezed her closer.

"You know," her voice muffled with Fiyero's chest, "I just knocked over eight pins. It's not like a saved a kitten or declared world peace."

Fiyero laughed and ruffled her hair. "Sure it is. What's world peace ever done for anyone that bowling can't?"

She blushed at their closeness, and her thoughts shifted unbidden to Avaric's kiss. Would Fiyero's be like that? Of course it would. It would undoubtedly be better.

Her thoughts must have shown in her face because he quirked a smile, "What?"

"Nothing." Elphaba averted her eyes, and caught sight over his shoulder of Galinda melodramatically struggling with the ball. "I think Ga-"

"What?" Fiyero released her as Galinda shot a quizzical glance back at the others. When she got no reaction, she pouted. Elphaba took a breath, but Fiyero spoke first, "You okay, Elphie? You look hungry. We could get dinner after this."

Avaric lounged on the top of a drink table, his smile hard. "Already trying to make an exit?"

Galinda tucked the ball low and tapped it with just enough force to make it roll. It edged down the lane like a snail going uphill in a snowstorm. "Fiyero, I think I did something wrong. Do I need to flex my knee, too? Did you see? Fiyero?!"

"I'm watching you honey," Fiyero called over his shoulder. "You're doing great."

"If I didn't know better," Avaric continued, "I'd think you were scared."

"Scared?"

"Of how badly I'm about to beat you."

Galinda dropped the heavy ball so it rolled backwards. "Oh, goodness! I'm sure that's not supposed to happen."

Fiyero barked a laugh. "In what alternate world could you ever beat me?"

"I could beat you with my eyes closed." Avaric punctuated his challenge with a pointed finger straight in Fiyero's chest. Fiyero's eyes narrowed, and Elphaba slid in between them before it could escalate further.

"Guys," Elphaba tried to shove Fiyero's head to look at his neglected girlfriend whose pretty blue eyes now watered with frustrated tears.

"Not now, Elphie." Fiyero tugged her wrist away. "Seriously. What have you ever been better at?"

Avaric sneered. "I'm the one kissing Elphaba, aren't I?" He slipped his arms around Elphaba's waist, pulling her back against him. "Obviously I'm better at the things that count, if you know what I mean."

Elphaba shook herself free as Fiyero's face paled. "You better watch your mouth. She deserves some respect."

"That's rich, coming from you."

Galinda sighed, tears brimming over her eyelashes, and flung the ball down the lane. It smashed into the pins, knocking them all over. A moment of shock passed, and then Galinda squealed. "I got a strike! Fiyero! I got a strike!" She bounced up and down, but neither boy so much as turned. Her smile dropped. "Fiyero?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fiyero growled, and Avaric smirked.

Galinda tried again, "Didn't you see? I got a strike!" She wrapped her arms around herself. "Doesn't anybody care?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean." Elphaba sighed and pushed Avaric back. She grabbed Fiyero's jaw to physically turn him to look at Galinda, but Fiyero knocked her hand out of the way. Avaric's eyes flashed. "You hypocritical ass."

Fiyero snatched Avaric by his collar. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"That's it." She shoved her way between the two to where Galinda sat spinning the ball on the ground. "You boys enjoy your date." Elphaba hauled her roommate up and linked arms with her. "We're going home."

"What?" They spun to gape at her. "What do you mean?"

"You obviously enjoy each other's company more than ours."

Galinda tilted her chin higher at Elphaba's words. "Yeah," she sniffed. "If I wanted to be ignored, I'd go to a ignorification rally."

"Um, right." Elphaba blinked. "Anyway. If you two are going to be stuck on each other all night, we have better things to be doing."

Abashed, both men looked down. "Sorry," Fiyero offered.

"Yeah, sorry, El," Avaric muttered.

"Look, we're stopping. We'll stop. I promise. Please stay." Elphaba bit her lip. She'd never been able to resist Fiyero's pleading. "Don't go. I won't say a word to him. Just you and Galinda. Deal?"

Elphaba looked to Galinda, who nodded. "Deal."

"Okay." Fiyero cleared his throat. "So whose turn is it, then? Galinda's?"

Galinda shrieked in frustration and stormed to the bathroom. Elphaba sighed.

Perplexed, he waved his hands in the air. "What? What did I say? Isn't it?"

The next half hour found him apologizing fervently from outside the girl's lavatory with no better idea of his transgression. Elphaba and Avaric sat side by side on the table, awkwardly eavesdropping on the spatting couple.

Avaric rubbed the back of his neck. "For what it's worth, I really am sorry, too. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Whatever."

"I mean it." Avaric leaned back on his palms. "I shouldn't have let him get to me."

She spun to face him. "Why is that? What is your deal with each other?"

His lips pressed into a white line, and he jerked his head away. "Nothing."

She crossed her arms. "And why won't either of you admit to it? Seriously, what is it?"

Avaric was quiet for so long that Elphaba hopped off the table. He caught her wrist, and she spun back, glaring. But her complaint lodged in her throat at the change in his voice.

"I guess," his voice so low she had to lean close to hear it above the crash of the pins in the background. "It might be a little…"

"Little what?"

He avoided her eyes and made a face. "Jealousy."

"Jealousy?" The volume of her voice drew his eyes back, and she repeated it softly. "Why would you be jealous?"

His lip twitched. "Fiyero's the golden boy. Everyone loves Fiyero. He's so great, so noble," he mocked bitterly. "Noble my ass. He may be a prince, but he's not better than me. Why should he always get the easy way? Why should he always get the girl? He is human, you know. I know it's hard to believe, but Fiyero actually has flaws. Tons of them."

"Everyone does. But Fiyero's a good guy. Why shouldn't he be liked for that?"

"Sorry." Avaric rolled his eyes. "Forgot who I was talking to. Fiyero's number one lapdog."

"Hey!"

He turned to face her and took her hands in his. "You know you could do a lot better, right?" She stared at him. "You deserve someone who appreciates you."

"He-"

"Who would pick you," he interrupted. "You shouldn't have to be the back-up singer."

"I…" She couldn't find any words to answer him, and she fidgeted under his gaze. "So why would he be jealous of you?"

A dark cloud rolled through Avaric's face. "Right." He pursed his lips, and just like that the earnest, open face dissolved into his typical smirk. "Who wouldn't be?"

"I mean, did something happen?"

"Nope." But Avaric's eyes betrayed him. She wanted to press for more, but he slipped around her waist. "Why? Would you like to give him something to be jealous about?"

She sighed at the reemergence of annoying Avaric. "I'd rather get out of here." His eyes widened, and she blushed at how that sounded. "I meant…" She abandoned her sentence before she could give him more ammunition and untangled herself from his arms. "I'd better help Fiyero. We'll be here all night before he figures out what he did and how she'll forgive him."

Avaric caught her again. "And?"

"And I'm bored. I don't want to spend all night in a bowling alley."

"Bored?" Avaric cupped her cheek. His eyes caressed her lips hungrily. "I'm pretty sure we can fix that."

She shivered as her thoughts escaped undirected to his earlier interrupted kiss. "Cut it out." But her chastisement fell flat, even to her ears. He grinned and edged closer. She cleared her throat. "Galinda…"

"Has Fiyero."

Another inch forward. "But he'll-"

"Do just fine without you."

"Avaric…"

He let his breath ghost over her lips. "We _are_ supposed to be making Fiyero jealous, after all."

"Ugh, don't remind me." She sighed. "Do I have to?"

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"What did you think?" She leaned back on her palms to gain some much-needed air. "That I'd be thrilled you're blackmailing me?"

"Let me get this straight…" He hovered over her, and her stomach fluttered. "I'm such a great mastermind that I've actually managed to manipulate you into doing anything you didn't want to do. You. _You_. Really."

She blushed.

He brushed his lips lightly across her cheek to whisper in her ear. "That is possibly the best compliment you've ever given me."

"Well, I didn't mean to."

She could feel his smirk against her cheek. "Even better."


	11. Mania

AN: I am SO sorry that it's been so long until this update. Chasing Elphie is over now, and I am fully committed to this and only this story now. Thank you so much to everyone still reading.

* * *

Elphaba whirled around the corner and froze, dismayed to see Avaric's back outlined by the light spilling from her doorway. She flattened herself into the wall and peered a careful eye around the corner.

She begged him silently not to say what she knew he would.

"Have you seen Elphaba?"

Galinda tilted her head, curls bobbing. "What do you mean? She left for that date with you over an hour ago."

He paused, no doubt confused about this mystery date, and nodded. "Naturally," he lied with such natural ease. "I must have gotten the meeting place wrong."

Elphaba tiptoed toward the stairs, praying he would spend the extra ten seconds to convince her roommate that would allow her to escape unseen, but alas, no luck.

He dipped a goodbye and spun around, shocked eyes meeting hers for a moment before he said, "There you are!" He grabbed her arm as she suppressed a scowl. "I've been looking for you for at least an hour. I must have just missed you at the restaurant."

"Well, if you're going to stupidly mix up the meeting place like that, I guess I shouldn't be wasting my time." She tried to push past him, but he kept his grip.

"Oh, dearest, don't be that way." He adopted a cajoling tone, but his eyes on her were hard. "I didn't mean to mistake our plans. Let's not fight. Come to dinner with me."

"The reservations are past," she seethed through her teeth, praying he would take the hint.

"The restaurant's still there. They still have food. We can still eat."

Elphaba sent a pleading look toward Galinda, who pursed her lips. "Oh, Elphie. Don't be ridiculous. It's just one little mistake, and he's clearly sorry. You should forgive him."

Elphaba sighed and slumped into a miserable pout. "Fine. Let's go."

Avaric smirked as Galinda shut the door, and his soft exterior faded. "You're avoiding me," he accused, and she wrenched free of his grip.

"Quite successfully until this little stunt of yours."

He sneered, "Well, don't blame me if you've stupidly been using me as a cover to avoid me. Cause that's a wise plan."

"How else am I supposed to convince her that she doesn't need to meddle in our sham relationship?" She crossed her arms with enough force to fan her hair out.

"I don't know. By actually spending time with me?" She snorted. Avaric rested a hand on her elbow to subtly guide her toward the stairs. "So, are you going to tell me why you're avoiding me, or do you expect me to guess?"

"As if I need a reason." He gave her a stern look, and she scowled. "Let's just say the usual. "

"Which is…?"

"You're a disgusting chauvinistic blackmailer whose very presence makes me want to shove bamboo roots under my fingernails."

He laughed at her expression, much to her continued annoyance. "That can't be it."

"Okay, you caught me." She rolled her eyes. "I'd must rather gouge out my eyes and avoid the sickening sight of your piggish face."

Avaric's hand slipped to her waist. "I don't think so." He gave her a knowing smile, and she cursed the unwanted flush that highlighted her cheeks. "In fact, I'd wager it's just the opposite. You only _wish_ you hated me."

She scoffed.

"You might even like me."

Her lip twitched just a fraction of a millimeter, and Avaric pounced.

"I knew it! I knew you had the hots for me." He tilted her face to his despite her strenuous objections. "Look, avoid me if you must, but don't bother lying to me. I can read you like a book."

Her eyes narrowed. "If you're literature grades are any indication, you might be right. Though I can't say I'm worried."

But her vehemence was to no avail as Avaric swallowed a smug smile. "Uh, huh."

Unfortunately, he was closer to the truth than she'd prefer. Ever since their forced double date, she'd had these fleeting moments where she forgot what a total scumbag he was enough to feel the tiniest smidge of sympathy for him. One particularly horrifying thought had her actually contemplating some imagined benefit to his friendship.

So she'd sworn off any contact in the hopes her utter insanity might vanish. Remove the contagion as it were. And each hour spent away from Avaric siphoned a bit more guilt. The image of Fiyero's face when he found the pair of them swam behind her eyes again, and she winced at the thought of an actual friendship with such a hated enemy.

"Have you eaten?"

His question shook her from her thoughts, and she frowned. "If I say no, do I have to eat with you?

"You're stuck with me regardless, so you might as well not starve." His hand slipped back around her waist and winked. "Unless you have other plans for tonight, that is."

"I do, in fact."

His eyebrows shot up.

She flashed him a smile and ducked away through the crowd of girls swarming through the dorm's main entrance. He shouted after her, but she dodged free of the mob and sprinted around the corner.

She flattened herself against the brick wall when Avaric jogged into sight. He raced toward her, and she launched away toward the tree line. The snap of twigs prevented any thought of stealth, so she didn't waste timing considering any hiding places. Adrenaline pumping, she whipped through the leaves and underbrush heedless of them.

Her flight was too frantic to bother with strategy. She barely spared the energy to react to obstacles, and if she weren't careful, she'd end up skewered on a tree. Avaric's frustrated grunt alerted her to his distance behind her. She jolted when she realized how much ground he'd gained. With the last of her reserve, she shot forward - only to find herself racing toward a cliff.

She skidded to halt desperately close to the edge. Her face paled, and only a tiny edge of her mind registered Avaric's triumphant, "Gotcha!" as he seized a fistful of her shirt and locked his arm around her.

"Not exactly the way I imagined you getting my heart rate up, but I suppose it works." He panted, doubling over to catch his breath without releasing his hold on her. After a moment, he straightened up, "Now what say we try my way?"

She didn't even blink.

"Elphaba?" His vision followed hers. "What? You okay?"

She pressed her lips together in a thin line, fighting the tremors she felt building. She tried to close her eyes, but they were locked open in horror. Mere steps away waited the ten-foot drop she'd almost rushed headlong into, but that wasn't the worst part. Swirling at the bottom with an angry white mist flowed her worst nightmare – water, and lots of it.

If Avaric's hadn't caught her…

"Elphaba?" Avaric shook her, and as he pulled her toward him, he broke the paralysis the water had caused. She struggled away from him, scrambling backward until she slipped on the loose dirt. "What the…?"

She shuddered violently, and he raced to her side. He crouched beside her and pressed a palm to her arm. Avaric's face held a look of such shock and concern utterly foreign to the expressions she'd come to recognize on him, that she claimed temporary insanity and fell heavily into his arms. Oz, she wished Fiyero was here.

Avaric blinked and set a tentative arm around her. "Hey, hey, it's alright. You didn't fall. You're okay." She shivered again, and he tightened his grip.

He rubbed a hand over her back as he whispered soothing sounds in her hair. She calmed gradually, and he gave her time to pull away before he asked, "Want to tell me what all that was about?"

"Not particularly." She wrapped her arms around herself, embarrassed. Of all people to witness this, why Avaric?

He shot her a stern look. "Not really an option."

She sighed. He wouldn't drop it; that much she knew. And she supposed she did owe him some sort of explanation for her near panic. "It's the water," she whispered. Her arms tightened against her knees. "I hate it."

Avaric chewed his lip. "That's some pretty strong hate."

"Well, what can I say? I'm very adamant about loathing. You should know that."

She blushed at the disapproving look he sent her. "I see you're back to your chipper self." She gave a sullen half-shrug, annoyed that she could feel more embarrassed. "So what happened? You know, to create this phobia?"

She shivered again. "Nothing."

"Right…" He raised his eyebrows. "You mean, none of my business."

"Pretty much." This random moment of kindness aside, she'd never even confide her preferential dry cleaner to Avaric, let alone such a personal traumatic memory.

She expected a fight, but Avaric nodded. He stood and brushed the dirt off his pants before offering her a hand up. She stared at it suspiciously, and he rolled his eyes. "I'm not planning on hauling you off the cliff I just saved you from, if that's what you're worried about."

She glared and took his hand, and he pulled her up. "So I guess I'll never live this down?"

He shrugged.

"Any chance you'll just forget about this whole debacle?"

Avaric smiled, and Elphaba frowned. "Not a chance." She stormed ahead toward the dorm, and Avaric grinned. "You know, you're even sexier when you're covered in leaves. Tsk, tsk. What will Galinda think?" She grunted in frustration, and he laughed. "You look like a tree. A very hot, sexy, feisty tree. Oh, or a nymph."

She whirled around. "Oz, don't you ever shut up?"

He slid an arm around her waist. "You know what a nymph reminds me of?" He leaned closer and winked, "Nymphomaniac."

"You're some kind of maniac alright."

Avaric pulled her to him and tilted her chin to his. "Got that right." His lips brushed against hers for a long, slow moment before he released her. "But at least I'm not the only one."


	12. Manipulation

Elphaba sighed. Between Avaric's schemes and yesterday's cliff episode, she found herself more heavily entrapped than she could have imagined. What was it about this boy that he uncovered all her secrets?

"Why do we have to do this again?"

"Because." Avaric's lips feathered against hers. "They're going to be back in a minute. When he sees your sexy…" He pressed a kiss softly to her mouth. "…gorgeous…" The kiss deepened a delicate edge further. "…delicious lips swollen and flushed like they are…" He trailed his lips over her neck, dulling the logical part of her brain, "There isn't a man alive who wouldn't be jealous."

His fingertips tugged at the hem of her blouse, and she jerked away. "And that helps how?"

"Do I really need to explain?" He rolled his eyes and threaded his fingers in her hair. "Now shut up and stop acting you like don't enjoy it."

"And if I don't?" she bluffed, and he growled.

"Oh, really?" He rolled her underneath him and launched an all-out assault that even a saint couldn't have kept quiet through. When he released her lower lip, Avaric whispered smugly, "You think you could dislike it louder? Then he wouldn't even need to open the door."

She felt a twinge of guilt imagining Fiyero's reaction. "Shut up," she hissed, cheeks blazing.

"Don't mind if I do." He tangled an eager hand in her hair. "We don't have much longer as it is."

"How much?" She winced at the husky tone.

"Should be any second now." He didn't waste another word, returning to her neck with a mission.

The door swung open, and she gasped in illogical surprise. Unfortunately, Avaric misinterpreted. "You like that, huh?" He nipped again at her neck, and she shoved at him. Galinda giggled loudly as Avaric shot off Elphaba and across the bed. He blinked, dazed. Either he had also lost temporary sight of their goal, or he was a very good actor. She frowned. Those shouldn't be such even options.

Fiyero, meanwhile, was not a good actor. He stared at them with open hostility, red-faced and tight-fisted. Elphaba scrambled up, deeply aware of her disheveled appearance.

Galinda broke the silence, "Sorry. We didn't mean to interrupt. Um, we can just go-" Fiyero sat heavily on her chair and crossed his arms. "Or…I guess not."

Avaric lounged back, unapologetically tracing Elphaba's arm with a languid grin. "No, it's okay. It's my fault. We were supposed to study. But you know how that goes."

Galinda nodded; Fiyero scowled.

"I should probably get going." Avaric stood. "Bye, El. I'll call you later." He bent to brush a lingering kiss that promised more to come and strode out, far too proud of her expression. Fiyero glared at the door long after Avaric left, and Elphaba ran a desperate hand through her rumpled hair.

Galinda bit her lips, eyes bright, but the pretty blonde managed not to launch a barrage of questions. Elphaba knew, though, this respite would only last until their sullen chaperone left. The silence drug on until Elphaba couldn't stand it any longer. "So…how was the movie?"

"Great!" Galinda gushed, but Fiyero only twitched.

Elphaba zoned out as her roommate prattled on about the vapid film, focusing instead on the micro-expressions flitting across his face. And clear in the middle of his frustration, anger and disgust, where even the blindest to emotion could see, shone an unmistakable jealousy that caught her breath.

How long this pathetic parody of conversation lasted she couldn't say. It surprised her that she managed her side, albeit stilted and half-incoherent, for as long as she did. Throughout each subject, Fiyero remained silent, his eyes searing across her lips as if burning away the imposter without so much as a touch.

She shivered, and Galinda bounced down next to her. "You okay, Elphie?" She nodded, and the girl pressed a hand to Elphaba's forehead. Then she giggled. "Oh, I see. You're just exhausted from your very busy night."

Fiyero's jaw tightened.

"Dearest, I think you'd better go on and let us girls get some beauty sleep." He stood haltingly, and her lips grazed his in a quick, chaste kiss as she bustled him toward the door.

Then he spoke for the first time all evening, "Goodnight, Elphie. Until tomorrow."

Though his voice was smooth, it held a low intensity that in another would have been threatening. She understood his message. She was free tonight, but they _would_ talk in the morning, regardless of what she planned.

It should have annoyed her, or angered her. It would have if Avaric had spoken to her so. But from Fiyero, it brought a hopeful blush.

The door clicked shut behind him, and she flinched. Sure enough, only moments passed until her bedsprings bounced and squeaked in time with her blonde roommate. "Start talking."

If only she could trade tomorrow's interrogation for tonight's.

* * *

"Elphaba."

Her stomach fluttered in anticipation. "Fiyero."

He held out a chair for her, and she sat beside him. For a long moment, each devoted their sole attention to the contents of their breakfast tray. As she quartered her orange with time-wasting care, she felt his eyes shift to her face. She gulped.

"About yesterday-"

"Don't." His voice startled her, and she looked up. His expressive face held back a wince. "I really do _not_ want to know. I'm sure Galinda already harassed you for enough details anyway."

"But you said-"

"And I thought about it." From the look on his face, probably all night, torturing himself for not 'saving' her from his enemy before it got this far. "I think it's best we pretend it never happened."

Her eyes narrowed. "That doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Are you going to eat your toast?"

"Fiyero." She crossed her arms in her do-your-homework pose. "It's not going to go away. We should talk about this."

He shut his eyes. "Please, Elphie," he whispered, and the heartbreaking tone to his voice melted her. "I just can't. I can't picture him…_touching _you." He shuddered. "I have to go."

He shoved his chair back and grabbed up his tray before she caught his wrist. "Fiyero, wait." She tugged him back toward her. "You don't have to go. Come on. We'll talk about something else."

He nodded, and she noticed how tired he seemed. She'd never expected this strong a reaction from him. Certainly not over her.

"Toast?" he asked hopefully, and she smiled.

"Sure. I got it for you."

He grinned, tension sliding visibly from his shoulders. "You did?"

She touched her head to his shoulder and passed him the toast. "Of course."

* * *

"We have to stop."

Avaric rolled his eyes. "Hello, Elphaba. Nice to see you, too. Would you like to come in?"

She crossed her arms, but took the step past him into his room. It was smaller than she'd expected somehow – less obviously evil. "We have to stop doing this. We're hurting him."

"Who, Fiyero?" Avaric pursed his lips. The word 'so' half-formed as if he itched to say it, but he diverted to, "It's nothing El. It just means the plan is working. He's starting to get jealous."

"He's so miserable. I can't stand it anymore." Her guilt wrapped her like a blanket. "Please, Avaric. I don't want to do this."

He sighed. "Oz, you're naïve."

"What?" That was a new one. Hideous, freakish, sharp-tongued shrew, sure, but never naïve.

"I forget sometimes." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, if that's what you want."

She took a step back, suspicious. "Really?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?" He advanced on her. "Because I will." His palm cupped her cheek. "I think you're making a mistake. You're letting him play you again, wrap you around his little finger."

She shook her head.

"You finally started to get through to him that you're not his little puppy lapping up the crumbs of affection he sees fit to toss you. If he wants you, he has to show it."

"But he's so-"

"He's only acting upset because you always cave."

"That's not him." She glared. "He's not like you."

Avaric eyes flashed. "Damn right. I don't try to hide my manipulation."

"He's not manipulating me."

"Of course he is. He's a guy. All guys are selfish pricks. Some are just more honest about it." She opened her mouth to argue, and he leaned in, stopping her with a finger to her lips. "You know what? I think you like it. You like the manipulation."

"Drop dead," she hissed, struggling to get free, but he tightened his grip.

"Is that what you want? You want me to make you kiss me? That way it's not your fault?" He drew his eyes slowly over her lips. "Because I will, if you want. I have no problem at all."

"Of course I don't," her voice shaking. She took a step back to clear her head. "I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"Do you? Was that really fair to you?" He studied her face and changed tactics. "And this jealousy – hasn't it brought him closer? Where were you before all this? Do you really want to go back, or do you want to move forward?"

Damn him. She knew he was twisting everything, but it just made too much sense.

"I'll take your scowl as acknowledgement."

His smug face was too much. "Oz, I hate you."

"Careful there, El. Hate's the second-cousin to love, you know." Avaric leaned into her, his body inches from hers. He traced his hands along her arm, tickling the fine hair and shooting tingles down her spine. He brought his lips to her ear. "Just so we're clear," his hands settled at her waist, "next time we're alone like this, I'm going to kiss you. And it's going to be amazing. I mean, earth-shattering, knee-shaking, begging-for-more amazing."

Her eyelashes fluttered quite against her will.

He touched his forehead against hers, and his breath ghosted a kiss over her lips. "I'm telling you now because I want you thinking about it until then. Blushing every time I walk past you."

Breathless, she murmured, "Fiyero?"

"Oh trust me," Avaric nuzzled her cheek, his lips bumping against the corner of her mouth. "Nothing will make him jealous like you blushing for me."

"Oh," her voice small, weak. That wasn't exactly what she meant, but her thoughts stuttered incoherently.

"Don't worry." He trailed his lips an inch above her skin to her ear, and she couldn't resist a discernable shiver. "You're in good hands. Very good hands."

She knew only too well.


	13. Get Used to It

"Stop it."

"What?" Avaric grinned. "What did I do?"

Elphaba jerked away from him. "You know very well what you did. Fiyero refuses to come to the room now, so there's no reason, even by your sleazy logic, for you to kiss my shoulder." She shoved him toward her chair. "Go over there."

"I would highly disagree." He resisted with a hand slung low around her waist. "There are numerous very valid reasons for me to kiss you right now."

She leveled a look. "Is that so?"

"Sure." He turned her to face him. "Fiyero won't be jealous if he doesn't believe we're together, and he won't if Galinda doesn't, right?" She rolled her eyes. "So Galinda catching us is a second best for Fiyero. Gotta make it believable."

"Whatever." She pushed off his chest, but he wrapped his other arm around her. Less muscular than Fiyero, Avaric could still hold his own in any contest of strength - particularly with as pesky an opponent as she.

"And your shoulder is very kissable. It's not my fault if it seduces me with its shouldery-ness."

"Avaric," she warned, but he ignored her.

He tilted up her chin. "But best of all…" He leaned in, and her breath caught in her throat. "You love it, and you know it."

"Hardly."

"You expect me to believe that you don't like it when I do this?" He slid his lips along her neck to her shoulder and back. "Is that what you're saying?"

Her half-nod didn't fool anyone.

"Really?" Avaric kissed his way across her collarbone and up her throat to land at her lips. Gently, he coaxed her frown into a soft pout. Why did he have to be so gifted at kissing? She started to forget his offense until he pulled back to smirk. He pressed a thumb to her wild pulse as it pounded in her wrist. "Guess you didn't hate that."

"Shut up." But she returned to his lips without a fight. For a long minute, she lost herself in the heat of his arms and the urgency of his kiss.

Until he slid his hand past her hips and grabbed her butt. Hard. She shoved him off her with a huff. Of course he would.

"What?" His heavy-lidded eyes would have been undeniably sexy if she hadn't been so annoyed with him. "Where are you going?"

"You know, this whole stupid arrangement doesn't get you a license to grope me."

"To what?" She crossed her arms, and he narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really. Here I thought that's exactly what it gave me."

Her lips pressed into a thin white line. She spun away from him. "You are such a cretin."

"Am I? I suppose if I've been blamed, I might as well do the crime."

"Now what drivel are you-" She squealed as he hoisted her over his shoulder. "Put me down!"

He flung her down onto the bed, an impertinent smile spread across his face. She sputtered merciless threats through her wild explosion of hair, flailing for escape. He crawled over her and pinned her hands on either side of her head. "You miserable brute," she snarled. "What kind of caveman-"

He pressed his lips against hers, hair and all, and pulled back with a grin. "Any other fantasies?"

"That wasn't a fantasy, you imbecile. Get off me."

He brushed away the cobweb of ebony strands. "I'd really rather not." His lips crashed against hers again, and despite her anger, she couldn't help returning his kiss for the thinnest fraction of a second. That was all Avaric needed to deepen the kiss and waylay her attempts to struggle.

A curt knock interrupted them as the door swung open. "Elphaba? Galinda? You shouldn't leave your door unlocked. Who knows who might try to get in?" Nessa gaze fell on the pair. Her eyes widened. "Rapist!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "Help!"

Avaric cursed and leapt off Elphaba, who raced across the room to slap a hand to her sister's mouth. "Shut up!" she hissed. "He's not a rapist. Not quite at least."

He glared at her. "Thanks, El. Real helpful."

Footsteps pounded down the hall, no doubt in answer to Nessa's screeches. Elphaba whirled to face the would-be do-gooders.

Before she could speak, a pair of boys she vaguely recognized as Fiyero's friends slammed Avaric to the wall, an elbow digging into his neck. "We're fine. Thanks anyway," Elphaba offered. "You can let him go."

The elbow's owner shot her a disbelieving look as he catalogued her wild hair and Nessa's wide eyes. "He didn't try-"

"He's not a rapist," she sighed. "He's my boyfriend."

Nessa's face dissolved from terror to disapproval in two seconds flat. Avaric held up his hands in surrender, and his attacker released his grip. Avaric coughed and rubbed his throat. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"With your history, can you blame us?" Elphaba spun to face the second boy, unintentionally dragging a squeaking Nessa along.

"What history? What are you talking about?"

Avaric's face drained of color. He launched across the room, fists clenched, but the first boy caught him and returned him forcefully to the wall.

"Why don't you ask your slimy new boyfriend?"

"Ozcar," Pfannee's high whine echoed the clicks of her heels. "Where did you go?" She turned the corner with Shenshen, the ever-present accessory, locked on her arm. One meticulously manicured eyebrow on each girl's face lifted. "What's going on?"

Ozcar pulled away from Avaric with a final threatening glare. "Nothing important."

"Why are you in here?" Shenshen's nose wrinkled in Elphaba's direction. "With that thing?"

The other boy spoke up. "Nessa screamed for help, but it was just Avaric. Apparently he's the artichoke's boyfriend."

Pfannee sneered a lofty, "Ew." The girls spun in unison on their heels and re-linked arms. "Moving on."

The odd foursome paraded out, and Elphaba rolled her eyes. Nessa shoved at Elphaba's waist, and she let go of her sister's mouth. "Sorry."

Nessa wheeled to Galinda's side of the room with a sharp harrumph. "Your boyfriend? Elphaba, what in Oz are you thinking? What would Father say?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"You okay?" she asked Avaric, who remained motionless against the wall.

He snapped away with a start. "Yeah. You?" She nodded, and in a rare moment of sensitivity, held out her hand. He took it with a slim smile.

Nessa harrumphed again, louder this time, and Avaric sighed.

"I take it that's my cue to go." Elphaba started to argue. If he left, so would her chance to understand Ozcar's snide references, and Elphaba sensed something important hid behind them. But Avaric pulled her to him and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Later, El. And thanks." He ran a finger down her cheek. "I knew you didn't hate me."

She huffed, and he grinned.

"Bye, Nessa. Charmed as always." He ignored her derisive snort as he strode out the door.

"Is he even devout?" Nessa chided before the door clicked closed. "I'd guess not from both of your behavior earlier."

"Who cares? I'm an atheist, and you know it."

"I do not!" Nessa hissed. "You and our whole family are devout followers of the Unnamed God, and I will not hear otherwise. Oz, if Father heard you-"

"He'd what, Nessa?" Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Have me drowned?"

"He'd disown you, you sharp-tongue brute." Nessa glowered, but Elphaba recognized the pout that threatened tears soon. "Then where would I be? No sister, all alone at Shiz."

"Oh, let him disown me. I'll always be your sister."

"And of all people, Avaric?" Nessa made a face. "Why don't you just sell your virginity on the street corner?"

"He's not so bad." Nessa lifted a pert nose in the air, and Elphaba bristled. "What makes you so certain I have a virginity to worry about anyway?"

Nessa colored. "Fabala, hush! You mustn't even joke about that."

"Who's joking?"

"Elphaba Thropp, you had better be joking! Of all the stupid, careless, immoral-"

"Sweet Lurline, fine!" Elphaba confessed before her sister had a coronary. "It was all a joke."

Nessa scowled. "Knowing Avaric, it won't be a joke for long. Elphaba, you better break up with him at once."

"Or what?"

She lifted a superior chin. "I'll write Father."

Elphaba shrugged. "Okay."

"Okay?" Nessa sputtered. "Didn't you hear me? I'll write our father. Tell him all about your illicit affair. He'll be up here before you know it."

"Nessa," Elphaba shook her head. "Father won't care at all. As long as it doesn't concern you or cost him money, he couldn't care less what I do."

"That's not true!" She wrapped her arms around herself, and Elphaba crouched to set a comforting hand on her knee. "You're his daughter. I can't believe you'd embarrass him by dating that scum."

"He's not scum," Elphaba shocked herself by meaning it. "He's not all bad, you know. He can be almost sweet." She frowned. "Almost."

"He's a terrible, terrible boy, and you know it."

"Avaric is my boyfriend whether you like it or not." Whether either of them did in fact. Elphaba stood and crossed her arms. "So you'd better get used to it."


	14. Missed

"I hate my life." Elphaba flopped her head down on her arms, hair flying everywhere.

"I see you're feeling chipper." Boq brushed some stray strands off his homework. "What's the matter now?"

"Galinda's decided to spackle me with glitter for my next date. Can you imagine?" She shuddered. "Glitter, Boq. Glitter."

"Maybe it won't be so bad."

She shot him a one-eyed glare from her place on the table. "Knowing her, it'll probably be pink."

He winced at the probability.

Elphaba sat up and caught his hand. "You have to save me Boq."

"How do you expect me to do that?"

She shrugged.

"Can't you just avoid her? Get Fiyero to run interference like usual?"

"I wish," Elphaba sighed. "Thanks to Avaric, Fiyero's avoiding our room like the plague. I don't think I've ever seen Galinda more frustrated with him."

"Trouble in paradise, eh?"

His carefully blank face struck a nerve, and Elphaba barked a spiteful, "Don't get your hopes up, Boq."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't deign to respond.

She swallowed her regret in a momentary mollifying silence. "Do you have the history notes?" Her question caught him off-guard, and he blinked.

"Don't you?"

"Between Avaric's baiting and Fiyero's complaints, I'm lucky to hear the professor say which chapter we're on."

"You could always move."

"I tried." She rolled her eyes. "They followed me. Like they always do. Oz, I had to hide in the bathroom yesterday to get away from them, and you know how much I hate it in there – girls primping as far as the eye can see."

"That's terrible."

"Even then, Fiyero nearly followed me in. It took some blonde shrieking to tear his eyes away from Avaric and realize where we were." Boq lost it, eyes watering with laughter. Elphaba glowered at him. "It's not funny."

"Of course it is." Boq spluttered between guffaws. "Fiyero in the ladies' room?"

She snapped his homework away to proofread it. "Some friend you are."

"Well don't blame me if your love life is hilarious."

"Better than yours," she retorted, correcting a hanging preposition with unnecessary gusto.

He snatched his paper back. "Your life makes me glad I'm single."

"Oh really? Shall I tell Galinda you're permanently off the market?" He colored. "That's what I thought. Not so funny now."

"Why don't you focus on your work so we can get some dinner? You're starting to sound like Pfannee – all boys and makeovers." She shoved his shoulder. "Should we polish each others' nails as we gossip, or do you prefer giggling at a sleep-over?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? A pajama party with my roommate."

Boq lifted an eyebrow, suddenly serious with the mention of Galinda. "As if I'd take advantage of that. I'm a gentleman."

She took in Boq's hurt tone, and set a placating hand on his arm. "You're right. I'm sorry. I've just forgotten what that's like."

"And here I always figured Avaric to be champion of chivalry."

"Don't be a smart-"

"Elphie?" Fiyero knocked lightly at the open door. "You busy?"

Elphaba hopped up to join him. "Not terribly." She handed Boq his notes back. "Can I copy these tomorrow?"

"Course." He tossed them in his bag and stood up, too. "So much for dinner," he muttered as he slipped past her. "Good luck." She squeezed his hand, and he gave a terse nod of farewell to Fiyero.

Boq's absence made the room feel suddenly small – private.

Fiyero shifted his weight. "So…"

"So…"

"Ozcar told me. About yesterday."

Elphaba blushed. "He did?"

"Avaric didn't…" Fiyero forced himself to maintain his composure. "You'd tell me if he tried anything you…" He dropped heavily into a chair, fists clenched. "You know."

She sat beside him. "Fiyero, I'm fine. Really. You don't have to worry about me."

"Sure I do. I care about you." He took her hand. "And I trust Avaric about as far as I could throw him."

"That's pretty far," her voice cajoling. Fiyero's single laugh was more than she'd hoped for. "Seriously, Fiyero. It's fine. I can handle Avaric myself."

"I know you can." But his face disagreed. He draped an arm around the back of her chair and glanced back at the door, as if expecting Avaric to come charging in. She let herself move toward him an inch. "But you can't blame a guy for wanting to protect a pretty girl."

"You think I'm pretty?" The words slipped out before she could stop them, and she immediately flushed. "I mean-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He laughed and pulled her into a sideways hug. "Elphie, of course I do." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You should get used to compliments. I'm surprised you don't get more of them." His expression darkened, and she bumped his side to short-circuit the same arguments brooding in his eyes.

"I miss this," she confessed. "It's nice to not be arguing."

He smoothed a hand down her back. "I do, too."

Fiyero smiled down at her, and she realized with an unfortunate start how close they were. She fought the usual panic that stuttered her thoughts. How was anyone that gorgeous?

"You know what else I miss?" He combed her hair back from her face, his fingers buried in the strands. "Your hair looks great down, but I miss seeing your face."

She blinked at him, Morse code for adoration.

"This is nice, though. Best of both worlds." She smiled and nodded. Her hands twitched helplessly in her lap, itching to touch him. "I guess I'll just have to walk around like this all day."

"Won't your arms get tired?" Her voice was husky from disuse. Fiyero shook his head, but he let her go.

He frowned as the hair rushed back in a curtain around her face.

Elphaba leaned over him to reach her pencil from the table, and with practiced ease, swung her long hair back in a bun. She stabbed the pencil through it to hold the hair in place. "Better?"

Fiyero studied her for an agonizingly insecure moment. His fingertips brushed along her cheek as he reached to pull the pencil out. Her hair cascaded back down, and his smile twitched his approval. Then he stretched around her to refasten only the top half in his clumsy version of the same bun. Her eyes fell half-closed, and her head clouded with the smell of his cologne.

"There." He pulled back, but only far enough to lean an elbow on the table. "Beautiful."

She blushed. "Thanks," she whispered, and he brushed a stray lock behind her ear.

"Anytime."

She bit her lip, and Fiyero favored her with an indulgent smile. For a long moment, neither spoke.

"It's getting late," he said finally. "Better get you home." She nodded and reached for her books, only to have Fiyero collect them for her. "You should be used to a gentleman, you know."

She furrowed her eyebrows at his cryptic comment until she remembered Boq's earlier complaint. Elphaba clapped a hand to her mouth. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," Fiyero's enigmatic smile was enough to weaken her knees.

* * *

"Elphie, come on," Galinda clapped a hand to her hip. "The weather's perfect, and I know for a fact you have no homework. There's no reason to be stuck in a musty library all day. You're coming with us."

"I'm not."

"I'll sic Fiyero on you again if I must." Elphaba shrugged, and Galinda stomped her foot. "Elphaba Thropp, you get up this instant! It is just odoriffic that you would willing waste such a beautiful Saturday."

Elphaba turned a page.

"Is it the suit?"

"That certainly doesn't help. I can't imagine why you think I'd parade around in a bikini."

"But you'd look beautiful. Avaric would never stop drooling if he saw you in that."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Please? Pretty please?" Galinda's pout appeared between the page and Elphaba, interrupting her best attempts at avoidance. "Do you want me to beg?"

"Ready?" Fiyero knocked as he walked in. He eyed the pair on Elphaba's bed. "Trying to convince Elphie to come, I guess?"

Galinda nodded glumly.

He sighed. "Go get dressed." She scampered off with a kiss to his cheek, and he took her place. "You know she won't stop until you go."

"Which I won't."

"Must I convince you of our persuasive talents again?"

Elphaba didn't dare look up from her page. "Fiyero, please. Please don't try to make me go." The soft edge in her voice took him by surprise, and he leaned back.

"Why?"

She studied the smooth edges of the font. "I don't like swimming."

He relaxed at that and took her hand. "You don't have to swim, you know. Just come with us."

"I can't." She bit her lip. "Please. Just let it go."

Fiyero studied her expression for a long moment, but she refused to meet his eyes. He leaned against her pillows beside her. "What is it? You can tell me."

Her lip started to throb. "I…" He squeezed her hand gently at her hesitance. "I have a thing with water. We don't really get along."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. She fidgeted.

"Don't say anything to Galinda, okay?" She worried the edge of her page until it crinkled terribly. "I haven't told her."

"Sure," his soft voice reassured her, and she set her head on his shoulder.

"I haven't told anyone, really. Except Avaric." His smile dripped away, and she rushed out, "I mean, and that was only because of the whole cliff thing."

"Cliff thing?" His eyebrows rose, and she felt his tension reignite hers. She jerked away from him.

"Nothing. Never mind."

Galinda came back in, bubbly and bikini-clad. "Is she going?"

Fiyero stood up, subtly shifting in front of Elphaba, and shook his head. Galinda started to argue, but he set an uncompromising, stern look on his face. "No, but we are. Come on."

Galinda's mouth fell open. "But…"

"You're not going to pester Elphaba into going. She's staying here." The blonde narrowed her eyes, and Fiyero caught her elbow. "Let it go, Glin."

Galinda pouted, but grabbed her towel. Without another word, she walked out the door.

"Thanks." Elphaba set a hand on his shoulder. "I hope she's not too…"

"Oh, she'll be fine once we get there. You know Galinda." He winked, and she let out a relieved breath that he wasn't upset with her. "And don't worry. I won't say anything."

She gave him a grateful smile.

He squeezed her hand again and picked up his own towel. He hesitated, and turned back to her. "If you change your mind, come and find us. I'll make sure you stay away from the water."

She shook her head, and he noticed her hair fastened half-up. He fingered a strand, smiling.

She thought he was going to call her on it, but he cleared his throat. "I know it would make, um, Galinda's day. Just…think about it, okay?"

"Okay." She couldn't believe she was actually considering it. "Maybe."

"Okay then." He ran a hand through his own hair. "I'd better…" She nodded, and he made it as far as the doorway before he turned back. "Think about it."

Elphaba stared after him as he sprinted off to catch up with his disgruntled girlfriend. She shook herself out of her delusions and went in search of Boq's history notes.


	15. The Villain

"Class dismissed."

Elphaba gathered her books, only to find her bag missing. Great. Someone must have carelessly kicked it away. With a sigh, she dropped to her knees to scan under the desks.

"Ahem." She jolted at the sound, and cracked her head against the underside of her desk.

Scowling, she crawled out from her hiding place with a hand pressed to her temple. "Gee, thanks, Fiyero. I've told you a hundred times that you don't need to take my books for me. I'm perfectly…"

"Beautiful?" Avaric smirked, her bag held out of reach. "Or is it disappointed."

Her scowl deepened. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. Or do you prefer the ground?" He winked at her. "That's a new one for me, but I'm game if you are."

"Oh, shut up." He offered her a hand, but she struggled to her feet on her own. She gestured for her bag. When he raised his eyebrows, she propped a hand on her hip. "Give me my bag, Avaric."

"I can hardly do that now, can I? Knowing my rival is so insistently chivalrous." She lunged for it, but he caught her around the waist. He waggled his eyebrows.

She shoved off him.

"Besides, I've been told my reputation as a gentleman is in question, and I can't have that."

Her jaw fell open. "Oz, am I bugged or something? How does everyone know everything I say?"

"I'm very resourceful when I choose to be."

"Lucky me."

Avaric leaned into her, and his lips skated along her cheek to her ear. "Quite."

She caught her breath as he kissed his way along her collarbone. His lips found hers, seducing an eager reaction from her. Elphaba felt him smile and shook herself away from him. She focused on Fiyero. She wanted Fiyero.

"Quit," her breathless voice held little conviction. "I have to…" Her traitorous head inclined toward him before she could stop it, and she jerked away. "Class. I have to get to class."

"El, love. Just let it go." He ran a hand down her cheek. The soft, uncharacteristic frankness to his voice held her captivated. "Stop fighting it. At this point, the damage is done. You might as well enjoy it."

"I don't-" He cut her off with a hard kiss and pressed her firmly into the desk behind her. She swallowed a groan at the intensity of his mouth against hers. Her bag tumbled to the ground, discarded, as he brought both hands to her hips. He lifted her to sit on the desk and stepped into her, pulling her thigh against his waist. She shuddered. In the span of a couple seconds, he'd completely rendered any denial of hers an obvious lie.

"I guess you don't need help," Fiyero's bitter voice carried from the doorway, and Elphaba gaped as Avaric pulled away. "I was worried when you were late for class, but I guess that doesn't bother you anymore."

He didn't wait to hear her apologies. She hopped off the desk to chase after him, but Avaric held on to her. "El, let him go," his voice low.

"You did that on purpose," she accused, whirling on him. "You knew he was there."

She expected a pithy denial or a smug conceit, but Avaric nodded, his face carefully blank.

"You scum!" She lashed out at him, and her fist connected hard with his shoulder. "Why do you make me keep hurting him? Why?"

"Because you need to." He smoothed a hand down her arm, but she wrenched away. "You need to, and you can't do it yourself."

"You mean _you_ need me to," she sneered.

For a second he studied her face. Then he nodded. "Sure." He squared his shoulders and held her gaze. "I can be the villain if you want, but you and I both know this is for you, too."

She huffed, snatched up her bag, and stormed out without another word.

* * *

Elphaba slipped into her seat, disappointed if not surprised at Fiyero's absence. The door squeaked open again, and she didn't need to turn to know Avaric had followed her.

"What's wrong?" Boq mouthed from two rows over. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

Avaric's stare bored into her back like a laser, but she'd be damned if she'd acknowledge him. The class dragged on to an infinite parade of inconsequential facts her brain failed to sequence. When she felt a millimeter away from exploding, the professor finally released them from her own personal hell.

She sprinted to the door, waving off a well-meaning Boq before he could slow her down. She refused to give Avaric even the slightest opportunity.

Elphaba cleared the hallway with practiced ease despite the hoards of babbling students. When she reached the door, she spared a glance back – and slammed face first into someone's chest.

She staggered back and only a quick hand kept her from falling. "What are you doing here?"

Fiyero ran a sheepish hand through his hair. "I came to apologize. I-"

"Yeah, thanks." Her eyes darted back at the crowd, and she tugged Fiyero out of the doorway. "Let's go talk somewhere else."

His eyebrows shot up, but he followed her. She barely resisted the urge to run. Why had she never realized how slow Fiyero walked?

"So where are we going?"

"Your room." He stopped. "What?"

"What's going on?"

She bit her lip. "Nothing." She forced herself not to grab his arm. "Why, you have somewhere else in mind?"

He studied her face, and though he obviously didn't believe her very pathetic attempt at nonchalance, he started walking again. They didn't speak, which helped her conceal her urgency for long enough to reach his dorm. She let out a breath as he unlocked his door.

He held the door open for her. "Thanks," she mumbled as she slipped into his wonderfully private room. If Avaric still pursued for her, he wouldn't find her here.

Fiyero shut the door. "You want anything?"

"I'm fine," she replied mechanically, and again he lifted an eyebrow. He opened the blinds, and she glanced subtly around this new exposure into Fiyero's life. Somehow she'd expected it to be different – more slovenly perhaps, or more richly decorated. More indicative of his secrets.

But the room was fairly clean and generic - impersonal. "Do I pass?" he teased, and she realized her covert examination hadn't gone unnoticed. She blushed.

"Sorry. I've just never seen your room before."

"Not surprisingly," he pointed out, and her blush deepened. He flopped onto his bed and patted the mattress next to him. Oh Oz.

She perched beside him. "You needn't look so petrified. I promise: no rodents." She furrowed her eyebrows, and he laughed, tugging her to his side. "Oh, Elphie. What am I to do with you?"

So many ways she could answer that question if only her voice worked this close to him.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed into her hair. "I shouldn't have stormed out on you. You didn't do anything wrong."

His eyes found hers, and a stab of guilt made her look away.

"I shouldn't have said those things." He cupped her cheek. "I guess I just don't like the idea that you might change. I like you how you are. How we are."

Avaric's words echoed in her head, and, much as she hated it, she realized he was right. She couldn't go back. She didn't want to. She needed to move forward wherever that might lead. "But things do change, Fiyero. That isn't always bad."

"It is with Avaric. He's a bad influence."

"What's so bad? Weren't you the one always trying to get me to loosen up?"

"I meant with me to…" He combed a hand through his hair, leaving a disheveled mess in its wake. "I really don't like him."

She rolled her eyes. "I think you've made that pretty clear."

"What do you even see in that guy?" Fiyero frowned and pulled her reflexively closer as if Avaric lurked under his bed to abduct her at the first opening. "He's an awful human being."

She rested her head on his shoulder. Despite her current annoyance with Avaric, she had to say, "No, he's not."

"You're right." He squeezed her waist. "He's not a human being at all."

"Fiyero…" she sighed, and he backed away.

"I know, I know. He's your boyfriend. I'll keep my mouth shut."

She wrapped her arms against the cold his absence left. "He's really not so bad, you know. I know he can be a pest sometimes, but sometimes he's not."

Fiyero leveled a look. "That's the best you've got? Sometimes he's not a pest?"

She shoved his shoulder. "Better than some people at the moment."

"Seriously, though, that's your only standard?"

"Well, it's not like I've gotten a ton of offers," she threw back at him, and he frowned.

"Now I understand the appeal. He has a pulse."

She glared at him. "I guess it's easy to be condescending when you're popular and dating a gorgeous, popular society queen, but not all of us have that luxury." She jumped off the bed and paced to the window.

"Elphie, come on." He stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. "You know better than that. You're just as beautiful as Galinda."

Elphaba scoffed. "Riiight."

"You are." His hands slid down her arms. "Although she'd kill me if she knew I said that, so for my survival, please don't say anything."

She turned around to argue, only to be confronted by a very close, very handsome Fiyero. "Don't li…" Damn her traitorous brain and its inability to muster basic language skills.

He misunderstood and retreated. "Sorry, I didn't mean..." He worried his already tussled hair. "I should walk you back."

"I'm fine."

He smiled gently, an arm looped around her shoulders as he led her to the door. "It's happening. Just accept it." She flinched at the similarity to Avaric's earlier words, and Fiyero frowned. "Elphie, I only want to protect you." He cleared his throat, "To be a good friend, you know?"

He locked the door behind him and fell into step. "I hope your pitiful excuse of a boyfriend walks you back. You shouldn't be wandering campus this late alone." She resisted rolling her eyes at Fiyero's characterization of six as late. "Although, alone with Avaric is hardly better."

"Fiyero, you need to let it go."

"I can't." He took her hand. "Not until I convince you that you're insane to think that garbage is the best you can do."

They fell into step, an uncomfortable silence settling between them.

"There you are!" Galinda appeared, and Fiyero dropped her hand with a final squeeze. "You're late. Did you forget?"

Fiyero rubbed the back of his neck. Elphaba glanced between the two. "Actually, it's my fault. I needed his help with something, and it took longer than we thought."

"Oh," the blonde brightened. "Okay, then." She linked arms with Elphaba and asked innocently, "What did you need help with?"

"Avaric," she answered, careful to avoid Fiyero's eyes.

Galinda giggled. "I see. Needed a male POV, huh?" Elphaba gave a noncommittal shrug. "Just no kissing practice unless it's with me," she teased, and Fiyero's head jerked up.

"What?" he sputtered, and Galinda chuckled.

"Oh, Fiyi, dear. I'm just teasing."

A guilty look flashed over his face quickly enough for Elphaba to dismiss it as wishful thinking. If anything, he'd probably been picturing the two girls, and she imagined Avaric's reaction to her roommate's jest. She could practically hear his shameless innuendo.

Elphaba said goodbye to the couple outside her dorm despite the pair's repeated offers to join them. After the day she'd had, Elphaba would settle for a nice quiet evening with her newest novel and maybe a half-hearted attempt to catch up on her history notes.

Now that she'd calmed down, she felt very torn toward Avaric. He was right; this whole fiasco was as much for her benefit as his. And she had to share culpability. She could have said no. She could have walked away. Wanting that not to be true didn't make it so. But he just got under her skin sometimes.

She opened her book with a sigh when a sharp knock came at the door. "I told you guys, I'm fine," she swung the door open to reveal Avaric. She blinked. "What do you want?"

"You're still mad?" He shook his head. "Whatever. I thought you might need this." He held out her bag. She realized with a start that she hadn't even noticed its absence.

"How did you get that?"

"You left it when you bolted out of history today."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Anything for an opening, she supposed. But he just dropped the bag inside the door and turned around.

She felt a pang of remorse at her assumptions. "Avaric, wait…"

He turned around, agitated, and she bit her lip.

"Thanks."

He took in her sincerity, and nodded. Without another word, he started back down the hall.

"Wait."

"Huh?"

"You were right. I'm sorry. You're not the villain." He smiled gently and nodded again. "I shouldn't have blamed you. It's for both of us."

"Apology accepted." He winked, and she chewed her lip nervously. She must be insane. What was she thinking? She really should quit while she was ahead. But her thoughts kept drifting back to his arguments before. Maybe she should just relax and enjoy it.

"Do you want…" She trailed off, eyes on his lips, and he smirked.

"Why, Elphaba Thropp, I do believe you're trying to proposition me." Her cheeks would spontaneously combust in seconds. Avaric strode back to lean against the doorframe. "Don't worry. I like it."


	16. Honesty

"Do you have any idea," Avaric breathed in her ear as she squirmed beneath him, "how very delicious you look?"

Elphaba prepared a snarky remark when his lips closed on her throat, and her thought melted right along with her bones. She managed a clever, "Un…"

He smirked. "Is that so?"

She pouted until his lips coaxed her back into a smile.

Avaric unclipped the hair she'd half-pulled up and tangled his fingers in a handful by the nape of her neck. "Mmm. Much better."

She gasped as he nibbled gently on her earlobe. "Avaric?"

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip, and chickened out. "Nothing."

He pulled back to meet her eyes, breathless. "No, no. What? What is it?"

She shook her head.

He shot her a suspicious look that made her fidgeting even worse. "Uh, huh. Stop biting your lip." She tilted her head, and he sucked her lower lip into his mouth. "That's my job."

Avaric chuckled at her expression. He placed a gentle kiss to her nose with a not-so-gentle kiss at her pulse. Her fingers crept to his collar, letting the tips of his hair prick at her fingertips. He groaned appreciatively. Inspired by his response, she threaded her fingers in his hair, softly scraping his scalp.

"Oz, El." His hands gripped her waist hard. "You are excruciating."

She frowned. "Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

She experimented with a seductive look, and Avaric's eyes darkened. She felt a rush of power as he yanked her back to him. Maybe there was something to this acceptance thing. Avaric kissed her intensely, a hand splayed across her hip. He edged his fingers under the hem of her blouse just enough to trace her the curve of her waist. She should have pulled away. She was going to any second now. But it just felt so amazing.

He slipped his hand around to her back, and she arched into him. His fingers dug into her skin as he clasped her to him. "You are…Oz," he panted, "so…amazing."

Empowered, she rolled them to straddle him. Why hadn't she done this before? She'd finally found a way to neutralize the unrepentant force that was Avaric. She'd never felt more powerful.

With both hands free, he explored every inch of her skin he thought he could get away with. She kissed her way down his neck to his chest. "Damn, woman. Are you trying to kill me?"

He rolled them again, fighting to regain the upper hand. She hooked a leg around his waist, and he misjudged the distance, slamming into the night table. A glass of water flipped and spilled over them both in a proverbial cold shower.

She wiped the water from her face as Avaric cursed, "Shiz, Elphaba. I'm sorry. Are you alright?" He pulled off his shirt, rubbing at her slightly damp face and hair.

She stared at him. "Avaric?"

"Huh?" He pulled back, wide-eyed. "What do I need to do? Are you gonna be okay?"

She shifted at his odd over-reaction. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Are you? I mean, you're the one allergic to water."

"What are you talking about?"

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other. "Okay, obviously I missed something." Avaric rubbed the back of his neck. "That day at the cliff…"

"Uh...," She prayed for a quick death. Avaric studied her as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm not allergic to water. I just…have this…um…phobia thing," she ended in a whisper.

Avaric sat back on his heels. "You? Have a phobia?"

She buried her face in her damp pillow. "Shut up."

"Oh."

"Look, I know it's stupid," her words muffled by the pillow. "Don't you think I know? But it's real, and every time I'm around too much water, it's like I'm going to explode. Terrible things happen when…Think whatever you want. Just don't say anything to anyone."

He sat beside her and pulled the pillow away. Avaric linked her fingers with his. "El, I wouldn't…"

The door sprung open, and Elphaba vowed to permanently keep it locked from now on. "Oh, Shizzlenickers!" Nessa spun around at the sight of Avaric's bare torso. "Don't you two have a even shred of modesty?"

"You're the one barging in my room," Elphaba argued.

Avaric tugged his shirt back on, but not before Elphaba could have his firm chest and toned muscles burned in her memory. Not that she'd looked.

"I'll see you later." He kissed the top of her head, but Elphaba held him in place.

"You don't have to go every time my sister comes in."

His face softened. "Thanks. I think. Though I have a feeling you just want backup."

She smiled up at him, and he coiled an arm around her waist. "You can turn around. We're clothed."

Nessa huffed. She stared pointedly at Avaric, but Elphaba leaned into him with an equally pointed stare. "Fine," her voice haughty. She held up an envelope. "If you want your _rakehell_ here while I read Father's letter, so be it."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

"Fine." Nessa unfolded the letter. "'My lovely, beautiful daughter,'" Elphaba rolled her eyes. "'I was so happy to receive your last letter. You always brighten my day with your…'Okay, let me skip some of this."

Avaric pulled Elphaba to sit on the edge of her bed. He nuzzled her hair subtly so Nessa wouldn't notice, and Elphaba had to suppress a laugh.

"Oh, okay, here." Nessa flashed a smug smile. "'I'm disappointed to hear about your sister's disgraceful actions.'" Avaric squeezed her waist. "'I should be shocked at her lack of decorum, but I can't say I'm surprised. Elphaba has never shown much willingness to avoid a scandal, whatever the cost to her family.'"

He stroked her side, and Elphaba forced a dismissive smile. Her fingers traced his hand on her waist absentmindedly. His eyes flicked back to Nessa, whose concentration centered solely on the letter, and he brushed covert kisses along the nape of Elphaba's neck to distract her.

"'I would advise you, my darling Nessa, to learn from her indiscretion. You have always been my…'" Nessa flashed an apologetic look. "Um...'Your sister's character has long revealed itself to be obstinate and disgraceful. We shall have to pray to the Unnamed God that she discover some humility and leave her in his most capable hands.'"

"So…"

"He's not coming?" Nessa blanched. "I can't believe it."

"I told you, Nessa. He doesn't care what I do. He never has."

"But…your reputation…"

Elphaba nodded sympathetically.

Nessa's eyes flashed. "That's it. I'm writing him back with exactly what I think." She wheeled out with enough force that if she could, she would have been stomping.

Avaric flinched at the slam of the door. "Well your old man is a real piece of work."

She glanced up at him, "Yes, well. Hardly surprisingly."

"Still." He set a tender kiss on her temple. "That's pretty rough." She leaned into his side.

Her father. So much of her childhood had been wasted fruitlessly scrambled for a scrap of his approval that she couldn't bother to care anymore.

She snuggled into Avaric, and he got the message. His lips ghosted along her cheekbone. "You're still my favorite Thropp."

She laughed, "What? You wouldn't want to seduce my father?"

Avaric adopted a suave pose. "Squeeze him into a bikini, and we'll talk." She doubled over in cackles and tumbled into his lap. He combed a hand through her hair. "Who needs parents anyway? Personally, I've only found them an annoyance." He twisted her hair and let it uncurl in his palm. "Much easier not to worry with sneaking out."

She rolled her eyes, picturing a young Avaric brazenly sauntering out the front door on his way toward pranks and mischief. "Your parents never caught you?"

"Couldn't be bothered, I guess."

She sat up to better judge his expression, but he flashed a wink.

"I like your hair like that." Avaric tugged on a lock.

"What? Messed up?"

He winked. "Damn right."

"Do you mean it," she tried to appear casual, avoiding his eyes, "you know, when you say I'm kind of pretty? Be honest." Fiyero's words had tumbled too much in her brain, and she needed a fair assessment to crush them before she could get her hopes up too far.

Avaric nodded at her soberly. "Honest?"

"Brutally."

His eyes studied her with such unnerving intensity that she had to fight not to squirm. "You know, I used to think you were ugly because you were green, but you're not. Once you get used to it, I think you're downright gorgeous."

She blushed. An unfortunate thought occurred to her, and she asked, "You're not just saying that to get me to kiss you again, are you?"

He eyed her lips. "Not like I need to." He hovered an inch from her, and her eyes fluttered shut. He kissed her eyelids softly. "In fact, after a while the green is actually kind of pretty, too."

Her eyes popped open. "What?"

"Yeah, I know." He leaned back on his elbows. "But it's kind of exotic. Sexy." She stared at him in shock, and he laughed. "You asked for brutal. In fact, if you want, I can be really brutal."

Avaric dragged her against him, her knees straddling his thighs.

"Your lips are absolutely hypnotic. I don't even listen half the times you're yelling at me because I just want to…" He kissed her hard until her heart pounded. "Add that to your eyes and your hair, not to mention a pretty knockout figure, and I'd say you're at least top ten most desirable girls at Shiz. Easy."

"Liar," she managed, her forehead against his. "Should have quit while I still believed you."

"Believe me or not, you asked for the truth, and I'm not going to sugarcoat it like your little prince. Simple truth is, I've never wanted to have sex with anyone as much as you." He refused to flinch. "And I'm not dumb. I know that hurts my chances more than it helps, so tell me why exactly I would being lying?"

She gaped at him, completely incapable of response.

"What's with all the insecurity, anyway? Here I thought you were the unflappable Elphaba Thropp, oblivious to all concerns shallow and physical." She avoided his eyes, but that only heightened his scrutiny. "Honesty should be returned."

She blinked up at him, twisting her hair around her finger nervously.

"Don't bother distracting me."

She sensed a way out. "What do you mean?" She fluttered her eyelashes and shifted closer to him. Avaric eyed her change in demeanor suspiciously, but didn't say anything. "I don't think I'm that distracting." She let her eyelashes tickle his cheek. "Do you?"

Avaric licked his lips.

"You know what?" He pulled her hard against him as he dipped his mouth to hers. "I think that works for me."

She grinned, "I win."

His eyes locked on her lips intensely. "You most certainly do. Ready for your reward?"


	17. Failing

AN: Sorry it's so late, but if it helps, the chapter's longer because of it.

* * *

Elphaba fidgeted as Galinda smoothed her hair, and the pretty blonde clucked at her, "Stop it, or you'll burn yourself."

"Does this always take so long?"

Galinda tugged harder on the next strand. "It does when you have enough hair to hide the Emerald City."

"I still don't understand. My hair is already straight."

"You, dearest, are the anti-fashion." She unclipped the next section of hair. "Are you sure you don't want to double? I know the bowling wasn't fully splendiferous, but the boys must have adjusted by now."

Elphaba shook her head, eliciting a shout of disapproval from her roommate. "Sorry."

Galinda yanked her hair back in place and soldiered on. A knock came at the door, and she muttered a perky substitute for a curse. She stretched, hair and iron in one hand as she reached for the door with the other. "I still don't see why we have to keep the door locked all the time now."

Elphaba avoided her eyes.

"Hey." Fiyero lounged against the doorway, and Galinda pecked his cheek before retreating back to her hairstyling. Elphaba gave him a half-wave through the mirror.

It only took her a couple more minutes. "There, done." Galinda clicked off the straightener and gathered her many beauty supplies. She shoved an outfit of her own clothes into Elphaba's arms. "Here. Change."

Elphaba hurried into the bathroom and flung on the clothes lest she make Galinda run later. Her roommate didn't even give her time to assess herself before ripping the door open and driving inside. Elphaba had to dive to get out of her way, grateful that she'd managed to fully dress.

Fiyero's eyes seared along Elphaba's exposed skin. "You can't go out like that," he grumbled. "Every guy that sees you is going to have a heart attack."

She tugged at her hem, which she belatedly realized only drew more of his attention to it. Why did her roommate have to be so much shorter than her? His gaze intensified until it felt like a physical caress. She blushed. Maybe she should change before Avaric got here?

Too late.

Avaric sauntered in, took one look at her, and pulled her flush against him. He ignored Fiyero as he kissed her…deeply. She meant to push him off, but he slipped his fingers along the line of exposed skin at her waist until she shuddered.

His hand ran along her hip to her butt, crushing her even harder against him until Fiyero yanked him away.

"That's enough. Forgive me if I don't feel like puking tonight." He retreated to the doorway.

Avaric's eyes lingered over Elphaba's body, a seductive scrutiny that slowly boiled her blood. She suddenly felt naked. His slow gaze promised without words exactly what he planned to do with her should he find her thus. She bit her lip, and he groaned.

"Are you trying to add fuel to the fire?" She blinked up at him, surprised how black they looked with the irises so dilated. "Didn't I tell you that was my job?"

"What?"

He licked his lips as he studied hers still caught between her teeth. She flushed. "Your bodyguard over there already wants to kick the crap out of me. Are you trying to tempt him?"

So many layers to that questions that begged an answer, but she could only stare at him.

He leaned a millimeter away. "Or are you trying to tempt me?"

Her heart pounded.

Avaric's hand wandered back to her waist, a finger experimenting feather-lightly with his self-control. "Because you don't really need to give me much an excuse. Not in an outfit like that."

Insecurity won, and she asked, "So you think I shouldn't wear it either?"

His control faltered, his fingers digging into her hips. "Careful how you phrase that, love."

"I meant-"

"I know what you meant," his lips brushed her hair. "But don't you remember? My mind is always in the gutter." He wandered to her ear. "Especially with you." Then to her neck. "Especially in that thing." Then to her collarbone. "Especially with Tiggular watching you and desperately wishing he could touch you like I am right now."

She jerked when she remembered their audience, and as her eyes blinked open, they confirmed Fiyero was in fact glaring at the pair. She shook herself away from Avaric, shame flooding her every pore. What was wrong with her?

Galinda burst through the bathroom door with a giggly "Tada!"

"You look radiant, dear." Fiyero's scowled delivery somewhat ruined the compliment. "Ready?"

Her eyes flicked to the other couple. "Any chance you guys want…?"

"No," Fiyero barked.

"That's alright." Avaric eyes never left Elphaba, though they took quite a journey across every inch of her. "I'm suddenly feeling like an evening in."

Fiyero's nostrils flared, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Come with us. Please."

Elphaba spoke before Avaric could get in another taunt. "No. I think we've all learned our lesson from doubling." Galinda started to argue, but Elphaba stopped her with a firm, "Have a nice time."

Disappointed, the blonde bobbled out the door, Fiyero in tow. As the door shut, Avaric slipped an arm around her waist, "Wanted to be alone with me, I see."

Elphaba stiffened, offended despite the teasing lilt to his tone. "What I want is to change."

"Don't you dare." He caught her arm. "Unless you plan on a more natural attire." He winked, and she sighed.

"Aren't you ever tired of that?"

"What?"

"Constantly hitting on me. I get it. You want to have sex. Let it go."

She must have been imagining the flush that flashed across his face. "If you want. But then whatever will we talk about?"

"I'm sure you'll manage." She gathered her purse, but only made it as far as the door. "Please, Avaric. I don't want to wear this."

He took in her insecurity with a silent nod, and with a long-suffering sigh, held out one of her own dresses. She vanished into the bathroom to change and sagged with relief. Finally, she felt like her old self.

"So the dress was just for Tiggular, then?" She pretended not to hear his mumble, and Avaric hid his disappointment as she traded heels for flats. "Alright, then. Where to?"

"I thought the guy was supposed to plan the date."

"I thought the girl was supposed to dress up for a date."

She bristled.

"Fine, dinner?" He led her out, casually locking her door behind him. "I suppose it's better this way anyway. I'm not sure if they would dismiss another public indecency charge."

"You've that many?"

Avaric shrugged. "If you'd worn that dress, could you really blame me?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you could." He held the door for her as he asked, "What makes you suddenly so adverse to my compliments? What happened to the girl asking me if I found her pretty?"

"Hush!" Elphaba's eyes darted around the public steps. "I can't help it if I'm curious."

"Oh, curious?" He swallowed a smile. "That's the excuse you've found, huh?"

"Not an excuse."

"Sure, if you say so." He winked. "Like a book, doll."

She scoffed. "I suppose I'm safe then."

"You tried that one already." Avaric hailed a cab and helped her up. "What makes you so certain I'm illiterate?"

"I've never seen you once open a book."

He slid in beside her. "Nor have you seen the Wizard, yet you believe him to be so."

She colored. "That's different."

"Is it?" He smirked. "I don't see how."

"Fine, then. Expound on your literary prowess, then, if you are so desperate to prove it."

He lounged back. "I wouldn't call my indignance desperate. Seeing you in that dress, however…"

"You said you'd stop."

"So I did. Question me then. I doubt you'd believe anything else. What would prove to you that I am not the imbecile your prince is?"

"He's not-"

"I would never need you to do my homework for me, love." He clasped her hand. "I have no doubts that my intellectual superiority to that cretin is beyond contesting."

She wrenched her hand away. "Perhaps, but your conniving is not a more admirable trait."

"Conniv- Ugh. What is your irrational attachment to that…"He ran a hand through his hair. "Never mind, I don't want to know. I don't want to talk about him."

"You brought him up."

"You're right, and I'm sorry." He rested his arm along the cushions at her back. "Let's talk about something else."

"Such as?"

He nodded toward her purse where a dog-eared paperback peeked out. "What are you reading?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"You expect me to believe that by not only are you an avid reader, but by some great coincidence you've read the very book I'm reading?" She cocked her head. "I'm not so naïve. Who told you? Galinda?"

He caught her purse out of her hands and yanked her to him. "Sweet Lurline, you frustrate me." He dug out the book and read the cover. "Nothing can ever be easy with you, can it?"

She glared.

"I half-expected this to be some bawdy romance novel from the fuss you threw up over it."

Elphaba channeled the characteristic Thropp haughtiness, "I thought you knew me better than that by now."

"And I thought you knew me." A hint of a wounded look pierced his hard stare until he dissolved into the frank honesty that always melted her. "Why am I being persecuted anyway? What happened?"

"Sorry." And she was. She wasn't usually this temperamental.

She avoided his eyes, but he pulled her to him. "Did I do something? You know, more than my normal charming self."

She shook him off. "I don't like it when you criticize Fiyero."

He leaned his head against the back of the cab. "Fine. I will try…and you should know how much it kills me so don't ask for more…try to keep my opinions of that…guy to myself."

She bit her lip. "And I'll try not to take things out on you. Although it's hard because you bring most of it on yourself."

He laughed. "Fair enough."

She rested her head against his shoulder in silence until her conscience compelled her to blurt, "I think we're getting too close."

"Huh?"

"I shouldn't be asking you for reassurance, anyway. I should have known you'd announce it to the world."

He held her away to look straight in her face. "What are you going on about?"

"That I asked you if I was…you know."

"How did I announce that to the world?"

His confusion seemed genuine, but she didn't understand how he couldn't know. "On the steps…like ten minutes ago!"

His brow furrowed and then he drew in a breath. "Oh. El, no one was listening. And it's not like I shouted it. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't." She crossed her arms. "It's more the principle…"

His mouth quirked in a smirk again. "Right, of course. My mistake."

"The _principle_," she stressed the word, "that I shouldn't be coming to you for advice. You're the one generating most of my problems at the moment, anyway."

"That was a bit harsh."

She gave him a stern look. "But true."

"Not entirely. I gave you a way out. Your choice, too." She scowled, but he reflected her sternness. "Also, true."

"Fine. But what I mean is, we're letting this be too complicated. It's not like we're friends."

He studied her. "I see."

She faltered under his gaze. "Are we?"

"I thought so." He ran a fingertip down her arm. "At least, as close to friends as two people can be when trying to get the other naked."

"I'm not trying," she huffed.

"Only because I'm all too willing, love. Or were you not staring when I took my shirt off? Or was that not you moaning my name last night? Or not you wrapping your leg around me as-"

"Okay!" Her blush rivaled a nuclear explosion. "But that's my point. That's not how friends behave."

He ran a tender hand along her cheekbone. "Do you want to be friends?"

She blinked, uncertain of his implications, but his stare made clear he didn't plan on clarifications. "I think so," she whispered, and he smiled.

"Then we are." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Now, we can discuss the collected works of R.S. Magle, or…" He smoothed a kiss over her lips, "we can find another shared interest?"

"Don't you have any respect for me?" She pulled back, hurt clouding her face. How could he be so dismissive? "Anything to get in my pants, huh?"

"Oh, that is such tosh!" Avaric's face twisted in a scowl. "You know I respect you."

"Yes, because your pawing at me screams respect."

He wrapped an arm around her. "I didn't know my attraction to you was such an inconvenience. You weren't complaining before, when your little prince was watching."

"Stop calling him that." She poked a finger in his chest. "You promised."

Avaric sucked in a calming breath. "Fine. But Oz, you make me crazy, girl."

She snapped her arms around herself so hard her ribs felt bruised. "I don't know why you're so convinced I like kissing you."

"I thought we were past this."

She glared.

"Is that what all this was about?" Avaric slid an arm around her. "Elphaba, you don't have to pretend to hate kissing me for your…" He pursed his lips and grunted, "for Fiyero. It's not disloyal." She struggled against him, but he held her still. He trailed a finger down her arm and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Feeling is not failing."

"I never said-"

He held a finger to her lips. "And I may not be the most wholesome guy in the world, but I do respect you. I'm sorry I haven't made it seem like it, but I do. You're…I think I already made pretty clear how much I admire you."

Her eyes widened at the word. "What?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his neck. "Well, there you are. So am I out of the doghouse?"

Something about the loss of his characteristic self-assurance was really endearing. She scooted closer and bit her lip. "Hmm, I'm not sure."

"Ooh, you temptress, you," he threaded his fingers through her hair. "You know what that does to me."

"Oh?" She fluttered her eyelashes. "I'd forgotten."

"Like hell."

He pulled her to him, and she stopped resisting. He kissed her for a long moment before he leaned back.

"So can you admit that you like kissing me yet?"

"Maybe a little."

"Just a little?" She grinned wickedly, and he dragged her back to his lips. "Looks like I have some convincing to do?"

His skillful lips brought them to a halt, or so it seemed until a rap came at the door.

"We have arrived, Master Tenmeadows."

Avaric scanned her with a scorching look that left her even more flushed, and he cracked the door just enough to poke his head out. "I don't believe so, my good sir. I think twice more around the block should get us there nicely though." He tossed a tip, and the carriage restarted.

"Avaric…"

"What? We weren't finished with our…discussion."

She cocked a hand on her hip, and he tapped on the wall.

"It seems we're finished a little sooner than I'd planned." The carriage driver flashed him a sympathetic look as Avaric helped Elphaba from the cab. He lingered to whisper in her ear, "Don't worry. We'll pick up our discourse after dinner."


	18. Surprise

"Hello gorgeous."

Elphaba didn't even turn to acknowledge Avaric. "Working."

The chair behind her scraped closer, and he scooped her hair up. "Fine by me." His lips caressed the nape of neck light as a thought. Her eyes fluttered shut. Thirty seconds. She'd give herself thirty seconds.

Laughter seized her as his fingers jolted into the ticklish spots on her sides and ribcage, and she lurched forward into the desk. "Jerk!"

"Some work. Looks like you're goofing off to me."

"Nice try." She rolled her eyes. "But I'm still working."

She steeled herself a Fiyero-style pout, but Avaric shrugged. "I just came to tell you that we have plans tomorrow, so don't get suckered into Prince's puppy dog eyes or anything."

She shot him a stern look.

"'Prince' isn't demeaning. It's his title."

Elphaba sighed. "Fine. What are these mysterious plans? More schemes to ruin my friends' lives?"

"That's for me to know," Avaric planted a kiss on her lips, then forehead. "But it's for you. Not for them."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." He stole another kiss and stood. "No more, no less."

"That doesn't give me very much to work with."

His smile was especially smug, even for him. "I know." His eyes flicked across the room to where Fiyero was approaching, schoolbooks stacked in his arms. "I'd better go. It's hard enough not to insult him when he's not here."

She shot him a look, but Avaric dipped down for a quick kiss. Which grew into a long kiss. Which brought Fiyero to their table before either noticed.

Fiyero groaned. "Do you have to kiss her every single second?"

"Don't be jealous, Tiggular," Avaric paused to kiss her cheek. "I'll kiss you, too, if it really means that much to you. Though I've got to say, she's got the better lips."

Elphaba shot him a look that was downright tame compared with Fiyero's glare.

Avaric shrugged. "Not a single insult in there. No one's got better lips than you, El." He squeezed her hand. "Don't forget tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Ignoring Fiyero, Avaric kept his eyes trained on Elphaba with a seductive smile. "Until then." He spun on his heel and retreated.

Fiyero turned on her. "What is he talking about?"

"Beats me." She studied the pages in front of her in a vain attempt not to blush. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Surprise?" he muttered darkly. "Coming from Avaric, that doesn't sound too healthy."

"It's fine. Where's your homework?"

Fiyero cracked open his book with a sigh.

* * *

"It's a surprise. Now close your eyes like a good girl."

She shot Avaric a look. "I hate surprises."

"Good to know." His breath tickled her hair against her neck. "Don't you trust me?"

"No."

He ran a hand along her side. "Yeah? Sure about that?"

She swallowed.

"So come on. No sense wasting daylight." He caught her hand and pulled her after him. She stumbled a little and leaned on him heavily.

"Do I really have to wear it the whole time? I wouldn't mind being able to walk."

He spun suddenly, knocking her off course, and she gasped as he sent her blindly into what she could only imagine was a wall. Her heart pounded at the disorientation.

"What the-"

He trapped her against the wall, his lips crashing into hers. Without sight, she has nothing to distract her from the dizzying sensation. He ran a hand over her stomach and under her shirt. As ashamed as she was to admit it, she actually quivered.

She could feel his smirk against her lips. He stroked the bare skin along her ribcage, sending waves of desire coursing through her. She gasped in his ear, her fingers gripping his hair hard, and his hands twitched in time with his moan. His tongue swept in her mouth, and her knees lost the ability to stand. If his hips weren't anchoring her to the wall, she would have slid into a puddle at his feet.

"Isn't this better?" he panted. "Who needs sight when you have touch?"

She heard scuffled footsteps, and Avaric withdrew his hand from under her shirt. Her cheeks blazed. Apparently they were in a more public place than she'd imagined. "Where are we?"

"Uh, uh, uh," he chastised. "Don't want to ruin the surprise. Besides, you have other things to focus on right now." He kissed her again - a soft, slow kiss that almost wiped her brain of questions. "Wouldn't expect me to give away all my secrets, would you?"

She frowned as he pulled her away from the wall to stumble after him. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"I had no idea you were such a pest." He laughed. "What's the matter? Can't handle not knowing everything?"

"I don't like being at your mercy."

He teased the skin of her neck until her sighs betrayed her. "I would beg to disagree."

She refused to comment. For the rest of their walk, she concentrated on matching his steps in as graceful a way as she could.

"Is this going to take long?"

"Might."

"Well, where are we going?"

He caught her waist again. "You don't understand the purpose of secret, do you?"

"I don't like secrets."

"So you said."

She frowned. "Aren't you going to tell me anything at all? A hint or something?"

His shoulder shrugged against her. "You're an observant girl. I'm sure you can figure out your own hints."

She focused on their steps again, noting the subtly fresher air. So they were outside now. The sounds of campus faded the longer they walked to be replaced with the crunch of gravel and pebbles under their feet. A few minutes later, Avaric stopped and dropped her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my clothes."

Elphaba rolled her eyes against the cloth. "Right. What are you really doing?" Avaric slipped an arm around her, and she started at the feel of his bare back.

He laughed as she stumbled back, tripping over a branch and tumbling to the ground. He caught her before she could take off her blindfold. "Is it that terrible that you need to run away?" She huffed. "I did try to warn you, you know."

"Well, I didn't think you were being serious!"

He laughed again. "Okay, your turn."

She paled. "You're joking."

"This again? What's with all the doubt?"

"I am not taking off my clothes in Oz-knows where just because you say so."

"You want me to?" he cooed in her ear, and she jerked away.

She managed a fairly convincing, "No."

"Well you don't have to take your clothes off, strictly speaking." He fondled her wrist lightly. "But I tend to find it helpful."

She blushed at the vividness of her imagination without her vision to distract it. "Just tell me what you're planning, or take this damn thing off."

"Yes, ma'am." He unzipped her dress, and she whacked him in the arm as she clutched the fabric to her chest. "What? You said to take it off!"

"The blindfold, genius. Not my dress."

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" He took a deep breath. "Look, it's already half-off. If I promise you we're not in public and I don't plan to maul you, will you lose the dress? You'll thank me later."

She narrowed her eyes, quite unnecessarily considering her current accessory. "Why?"

"Trust, El. It's called trust."

"You can't just tell me why?"

"Sure," he kissed the fabric of the blindfold, making her tilted her face up. "If you tell me what you were thinking we would do that made you turn purple." She glared uselessly at the offending cloth, and he pecked her on the cheek. "Off it goes, then."

She sighed as the crackle of leaves disclosed his steps away. "I plead temporary insanity," she mumbled, but she released her dress. He struggled to keep his breathing even as the fabric pooled around her ankles.

"See, was that so bad?"

"If I say yes?"

He muttered a reply under his breath and reached out for her hand. "For the record, you would look amazing in lingerie. Irresistible even."

"Then good thing I'm too practical for the crap, huh? Maybe it'll keep you to your word about the mauling."

He hooked an arm around her waist, and she did her best not to think how few clothes separated them. "I didn't say that," his husky voice was closer than she'd thought, and she gulped.

"So, can I take this off yet?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "The blindfold or the underwear?" She crossed her arms. "Just kidding. No. Not yet. You know, I'm kind of enjoying this."

"The power to make me look foolish?"

"No, the chance to stare without you blushing and hiding." She blushed and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, and he chuckled. "See."

"No, actually. Hence my whole grouchy mood."

"As if you need this." She cocked a hand to her hip. "Fine. It's only a couple more yards."

She took a few more steps only to ram into Avaric. He bent over to slip off her shoes. Barefoot and mostly naked, Elphaba wondered what Nessa would think of her scandalacious behavior now. It would probably give her sister a heart attack.

She shuffled along the gritty dirt, wondering where in Oz they were and why Avaric had insisted on her altered attire. Hormone-driven or not, she didn't really believe he would force himself on her. He'd had far too many opportunities for that already if that had been his goal.

"Ah!" She shouted as he scooped her up in his arms without warning, and she flailed against him. "Let me go!"

"Stop it, El. I don't want to drop you." She clung to his neck, even more disoriented without any tactile information either. "It's fine, love. I've got you."

She tried to relax against him, impressed with how easily he could carry her weight. Until she heard an odd lapping sound. She stiffened.

"Avaric?" she managed not to scream. "What is that?"

"Relax, El. It's okay."

"What is that?" she demanded. "Avaric Tenmeadows, you better be walking through a giant pool of jell-o right now."

"I always knew you had a kinky streak."

"And apparently you have a sadistic one." She scrambled for her blindfold, still praying to be wrong.

"Not yet, babe. Wait till we get farther out. It'll be easier."

"Easier to what?" she squeaked, now flailing widely to untie the knot keeping her in the dark.

"Elphaba, stop," he grunted. "Hold still. I can't hold on to you when you keep…"

She tumbled out of his arms and splashed into the horrifying water, immersed entirely. She screamed, water rushing into her lungs as fast as her air could escape, and she thrashed wildly to get some sort of bearing. Which way was up? Where was the ground? Oh, Oz, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe!


	19. Drowned

_She tumbled out of his arms and splashed into the horrifying water, immersed entirely. She screamed, water rushing into her lungs as fast as her air could escape, and she thrashed wildly to get some sort of bearing. Which way was up? Where was the ground? Oh, Oz, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe!_

What should she do? She couldn't think. Air. She needed air. Where was it?

The blindfold still held tight, further obscuring any hint of the surface. Elphaba kicked hard, only to find more water. She heard Avaric splashing, but she couldn't find him. She was going to drown. She was drowning. The water… Oh, Oz, the water was everywhere.

A pair of hands found her arms and yanked her sideways. She broke through the surface spluttering and shaking. Blindly, she clutched at them. "Get it away from me!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Her savior cursed, and she dimly realized through the panic that it wasn't Avaric cradling her to him. Was that Fiyero's voice? She must be hallucinating now, a product of her water-addled mind. "What could you possibly have been thinking?!"

"So what, you're following us now?"

She felt him turn toward Avaric and then back where the beach must be. "Damn right. And a good thing I was, what with you trying to rape and murder her."

"Oh, like hell."

She felt a hand shift to shove Avaric away, and she yelped, clutching him tighter, terrified to go back into her watery tomb. His jaw clenched, but the arm came back around her. "Shh, it's alright, Elphie, I've got you now."

He pressed a kiss to her damp forehead. The hated water splashed against her legs as they waded toward the shore. When he bent to set her down, and she clung to him with arms and legs and every bit of strength she possessed.

"Hey, hey, shh. You're safe, baby. You're on the ground, now. You're safe." The spray of pebbles from her flailing confirmed it enough to force herself to stop. Her heart pounding, she still felt the panic like the edge of a knife. It left her shaking.

"I can't see. Get it off. I can't-"

"I know. Shh, hey now. I got it." He cursed as he struggled with the wet knot. Finally, he freed her the soaked cloth, and she squinted at the shock of light again.

Through the smallest part in lashes, she peered up at her savior. "Fiyero?"

He brushed her wet hair out of her face. "What?"

"How…" But she didn't care. She flung herself back on him. "Thank Oz." He was real. It was over. Fiyero would never let her go back in the water.

"El, you alright?" Avaric knelt beside her, and she flinched away.

"You stay the hell away from her!" Fiyero snarled. "Don't you think you've done enough for one day? What in Oz is wrong with you? You _know_ how she is about water. I know she told you. What the hell is wrong with you that you would do that to her?"

"I was trying to help. She twisted out of my grip. I didn't mean to drop her."

"You shouldn't have brought her here in the first place!" He took a step toward Avaric, fists clenched, but Elphaba clamped her arms around him.

"Yero!"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and hissed through his teeth, "You better get out of here. Now. And I swear to all that is holy next time I see you, you're gonna leave breathing through a straw."

"I don't give a damn about your threats. I'm not going anywhere until I know she's alright." Avaric reached a hand out to Elphaba's shoulder, and she shrunk into Fiyero's chest, eyes wide. He flinched as if slapped. "You okay, baby?"

"Leave me alone."

Avaric jerked his hand back, regret ghosting through his features before he turned back to Fiyero. "Take her home," he swallowed the words like gall. "She'll feel better with you."

"Can't imagine why," Fiyero barked, but he gathered her up. "I knew you were a creep, but even I didn't think you were this miserable a bastard."

Avaric clenched his jaw. "Neither did I," he mumbled under his breath as he gathered up their clothes. He held out Elphaba's dress carefully so she wouldn't have to touch him. His eyes begged forgiveness, but he held his tongue.

Fiyero snatched the dress away before she could reach it. "Don't even get me started about that. Anything to get her half-naked, huh?"

"That's always what it is with you, isn't it?"

"Me?" Fiyero growled. "I'm not the one drag-"

"Just shut up!" Avaric wiped a hand over his face. "Get her home already." He grimaced an apology to Elphaba, and spun on his heels to disappear deeper into the brush.

Fiyero fumed after him, but Elphaba caught his arm. "My clothes."

He helped her dress, eyes chivalrously averted from the long expanse of green skin hid only by a few strips of damp white cotton. Once dressed, he tried to scoop her up, but she stepped back.

"I can walk." His argument with Avaric had lasted long enough for most of the panic to subside and the wonderfully numbing hand of shock to settle in its place.

"You sure?"

Her pride compelled her to nod, and the pair started the trek back. Fiyero led since she had no idea where they were, but every three steps he paused to check on her progress. It made for very slow going.

"Fiyero, I'm fine." He raised an eyebrow. "Really. I just want to get home."

"Then let me carry you. I'm still not convinced you're half as fine as you say you are."

She sighed and strode ahead with false bravado toward where she assumed Shiz to be. Fiyero guided her through the branches with a hand on her elbow, dogging her steps closely. At last she sighted campus, and her pace quadrupled through the open area.

He glared at anyone unfortunate even to head in her direction as he ushered her through her dorm and up the stairs. When they finally reached the room, Elphaba turned in the doorway. "Thanks, Fiyero."

He shook his head. "Like hell I'm leaving now."

"I'm tired." Her voice was drenched in proof.

"Take a nap. I'll watch you sleep."

She quirked an eyebrow. "That's a little creepy."

"At least I won't try to drown you." She flinched, and he softened. "Please, Elphie. I have to know you're okay. Seeing you so…"

He swallowed hard, and she stepped up to place her arms around him. "It's okay, Fiyero. I'm okay." He held her to him in a crushing embrace that threatened to smother her as efficiently as the water. "Thank you for being there."

He bent his face down, his lips seconds from her own when he diverted to her cheek. "Anytime." They stood there for a full minute until Elphaba couldn't take anymore. She stepped back, but Fiyero leaned forward to match. "Please don't go."

She turned and unlocked the door. Fiyero sighed. "Fine." Elphaba took his hand and led him into their room. "Just don't make me regret this."

She walked to the closet and shot him a shy look. "Oh, um, right." He spun around. Fiyero's ears and neck burned bright red at the plunk of wet cloth on the ground, and she raced to re-clothe herself.

"Okay."

He turned cautiously until he confirmed her state of attire. "Nice pajamas."

She rolled her eyes. "They aren't exactly designed for company."

"Then I feel a little better." He teased, but they both were too wound up to relax into the banter.

"Do you at least want a book or something?" Fiyero huffed a laugh. "Right. Forgot who I was talking to."

She crawled into bed, and Fiyero lounged in her desk chair. She rolled onto her side in a fruitless effort to ignore his constant stare. His anxiety only heightened her own. After tumbling around a few times, she sighed.

"I can't take you staring at me." He smiled at her, and she chewed her lip. "Come here."

He lifted both eyebrows. "What?"

"You can't stare at me from here." She raised the covers and patted the mattress next to her. Fiyero gaped at her. "It's no worse than before. At least I'm not half-naked and soaked."

He reddened. With no better argument, Fiyero slipped off his shoes and slid between the sheets. He pulled her to snuggle against him, and she stiffened. That was a little more comfortable than she'd intended.

"You don't think Galinda…"

"I think attempted murder is a justifiable excuse," he kissed her temple and nuzzled her hair.

"I doubt he was trying to kill me, Fiyero."

"Don't start." Fiyero's comforting voice turned hard. "Don't you dare start defending him after what he just did."

"I'm only saying-"

"Well don't." He rolled over to face her directly. "Don't even think it. He's the lowest slug on the planet, and I refused to listen to you forgive him for what he did. It's disgustingly unjust."

She bit her lip, and he gathered her back to him. He caressed her hair soothingly, and she relaxed into him.

"Don't spare that worm a second of your thought." He kissed the top of her head. "He won't bother you again."

She knew better than to argue with him now. Fiyero was in full over-protective mode. If she pushed him too far, he would storm out and murder Avaric now just to prevent any chance of absolution.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck like an ostrich in the sand. She'd deal with it all later. Right now she had enough to handle.

Every time she closed her eyes, the suffocating force of the water rushed back over her, and she struggled vainly to dismiss it despite the safety of her bed and the warmth of Fiyero next to her. She forced her breaths to seem steady. She was fine. Everything was fine.

Fiyero's arms stroked her back as he pulled her closer. Maybe they weren't as steady as she'd thought. "It's okay." He kissed her crown again, and this time he left his lips against her hair. "Breathe with me."

His chest rose and fell smoothly, and she fought through the edging panic to match it. In. And Out. In. And Out. His hand smoothed over her back, and the tension slowly melted out of her muscles.

In.

And Out.

In.

And Out.

Before she knew it, she slipped beneath the surface and drowned in her dreams.


	20. Not Falling

"Fiyero?" Galinda tilted her head at the pair nestled in Elphaba's bed. "What are you doing?"

Elphaba's eyes shot open, vividly aware of Fiyero's presence in her bed. She tried to wriggle away from him, but his arm weighed her down. She panicked mutely. What were they going to say?

"Avaric tried to drown Elphaba," Fiyero's answer was blunt. "I didn't let him."

"What? Drowned?" She appeared at Elphaba's side, shifting them over to make room on the bed. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"He-"

The blonde shushed him. "No offense, but you're a little biased. What happened, dearest?"

Squeezed between Fiyero and Galinda, Elphaba shifted. The last thing she needed now was a revisit to her worst nightmare. "I really don't want to talk about it right now."

Galinda frowned. "Later?" Elphaba nodded reluctantly, and her friend leaned in to whisper, "Because Fiyero's here? He can leave if you want."

Elphaba shook his head, and Galinda lay back against the pillows. "I'm glad you're okay. You are, right? Nothing," she shifted her eyes awkwardly, "happened?"

"I can tell you exactly what happened," Fiyero barked. "That scumbag had her clothes half off and dumped her blindfolded into the lake. Even when he knows she -" Fiyero caught Elphaba's stern glare and stuttered out, "uh, can't swim."

Galinda's eyes widened. "You can't swim?"

Elphaba blushed. "Anyway," Fiyero drew the focus back. "I pulled her out, and that creep slunk off to plot his next attempted murder or something."

"Wow. Lucky you were at the lake."

"Yeah," he avoided her eyes. "Lucky."

Galinda set a comforting arm around Elphaba. "So did you faint? Why are you in bed again?"

"Um, he didn't want to leave, and I was exhausted, and…" she mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Elphaba tilted her head. "For being in bed with your boyfriend."

Galinda's laughter knocked her into Elphaba, which rocked them both into Fiyero. "Oh, please. Elphie." Galinda managed a straight face. "You're my best friend. I trust you. And I know you're friends with Fiyero, too. Honestly, it's not as if I'd assume you're doing something licenses."

"Licentious."

"Yeah, that." Galinda giggled again. "As if you'd ever have a thing for each other. You're like total opposites." Elphaba resolutely studied the thread count of her sheets. "You wouldn't even talk to each other before we started dating. Remember what you used to call him?"

Fiyero perked his head up. "What?"

That sobered her, and Galinda swallowed her laughter. "Nothing." She leaned in to whisper, "Sorry. I'm glad Fiyero was there, though, and that you're alright."

"Thanks."

"My poor Elphie." She rested her head on Elphaba's shoulder. "Sometimes I think you have the most terrible luck."

"Me, too."

"Okay, enough whispering," Fiyero pouted. "You're going to give me a complex."

"Spoilsport." Galinda stuck out her tongue. "What makes you think we don't spend every morning whispering in bed?"

Elphaba burst into cackles, imagining Avaric's face at that, until exhausted from mirth, she flopped back against Fiyero's chest. "As fun as this is," his eyes belied his sarcasm as they caressed her lips, "we should get up. Its dinnertime if my senses haven't failed me, and I'd like to take both you pretty girls to dinner."

Elphaba spun to face her roommate. "No makeovers of any kind. I've had my daily dose of trauma, thank you very much."

* * *

Elphaba waited for her self-appointed escort to meet her outside her sorcery lesson the next day when Avaric sidled up to her. "What are you doing here?"

His smile was contrite. "I came to check on you. Are you…okay?"

She spit out an icy, "Fine."

"Good. I was…I didn't…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to go this way."

"And what way did you mean, exactly?" She pressed her books tighter into her chest. "Never mind. You'd better get out of here before Fiyero gets back. He's begging for an excuse to kill you."

"He can try," Avaric sneered. "I'm not afraid of that jackass."

"Right. He's the jackass. For what, pulling me out?"

Avaric deflated. "You know that's not what I meant. El, come on. I thought we were friends now. Don't I at least get a chance to explain?"

"Friends?" she fumed. "Do friends try to drown each other?" She advanced on him, a finger stabbing in his chest. "Do friends exploit each other's confidences? Do friends deliberately use each other's deepest fears to…" She sputtered, too angry to think. "Just go away. I don't want to hear whatever pathetic explanation you have."

"El, wait." He caught her arm before she could get away, and she shoved him. Hard. "You know me. You know better than that. I didn't mean to hurt you, really."

"In what fantasy world?"

He tilted his head back to study the ceiling. "I wanted to help you. You know, confront your fear. "

Her face contorted. "Who the hell asked you to do that?"

"You shouldn't be afraid of the water." He held up a hand before she could shoot off another indignant reply. "I don't mean it as a criticism, or condescension. You're too strong. You deserve better. I thought I could help. I wanted to make your life better. Honest."

"And drowning me would make me less afraid, how exactly?"

"I didn't mean to drown you," he sighed impatiently. "I saw it going so differently in my head. I didn't expect you to fight me. Oz, you're a lot stronger than you look."

She huffed.

"And then you kept flailing away from me. I couldn't reach you. You scared the piss out of me, if you must know. I swear," he stepped toward her to smooth a hand down her cheek. "I never meant to hurt you."

"What did you mean, huh?" His face said it all. "I see. So you thought, what? You'd be all charming and sexy and I'd forget that we were surrounded by everything that terrifies me? And that I'd, what, be so moved by your clever, caring initiative that I'd be helpless to resist you?"

"Not exactly." She lifted an eyebrow. "But close."

"And you claim not to be a moron. That's a moronic idea if ever I've heard one."

"No, it's a guy idea. And I'll admit, clearly not my best. But my intentions were good." He gave her the best puppy-dog look she'd ever seen, Fiyero excluded, and she frowned. "Forgive me?"

She chewed her lip. It was stupid, but vaguely understandable in a more-testosterone-than-brains sort of way. "I guess."

He beamed at her and pulled her to him for a soft, tender kiss. "Thank Lurline."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Oz, I couldn't sleep all night. I just kept picturing your face." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "You don't hate me?"

"Not any more than I did." He shot her a sideways look, and she laughed. "Lucky for you that I have a weakness for stupid men."

"You should really work on that."

She shrugged.

He linked hands with her. "We can still try it, if you want. I think I see where I went wrong. I shouldn't have blindfolded you." He caught her slap before it connected. "What?"

"You want to do it again? You're not even sorry! I can't believe I forgave you? Fiyero was right!"

Avaric pulled her to him. "El, I am sorry. I'm desperately sorry that I hurt you. But that doesn't mean I'm sorry I tried to help you."

"I don't want your help," she hissed. "I did just fine without you."

"Yeah, well I think you've done without enough in your life. You've missed enough." He wound his finger through her hair. "You deserve better. You don't need to be protected from everything. You're strong enough to face it."

"And if I don't want to?"

"I'll help you." He kissed her gently. "Better than I did. I'm sorry I let you down."

"Fiyero-"

"Should let you lead your own life." Avaric's face darkened. "What is he doing following you anyway?"

"No, Fiyero is-"

"I refuse to baby you like that big oaf. You don't deserve to be demeaned that way. You can face your fears. You're the strongest person I know."

Fiyero knocked Avaric away from Elphaba. "What in Lurline's name are you doing here? How could you show your face to her after what you did?"

"Stalking her again, Tiggular? What does your girlfriend have to say about all this?"

Fiyero's jaw clenched. "She cares about Elphaba just like I do."

"Not _just _like you I'd bet," Avaric sneered.

"Shut your damn mouth."

"Or what?"

"I'll shut it for you."

Avaric stepped forward and puffed out his chest. "I'd like to see you try."

Fiyero threw a heavy punch, but Avaric lithely sidestepped the jab and countered with one of his own. Fiyero absorbed the hit without even a wince and drove hard into Avaric's stomach. The pair tangled in a mess of flying limbs and guttural grunts.

"Stop it!" Elphaba called impotently as they slammed each other into whatever available surface they found. "Both of you!"

Fiyero landed a blow to Avaric's nose with a sickening crunch, and he staggered back. "Leave her alone," Fiyero threatened with a menacing lean forward. "You don't deserve her, and you know it."

Avaric shrugged. "And? What's that to you? She's not yours, Fiyero."

Fiyero snarled at him, "Like I would let a sleaze like you anywhere near her."

Avaric cocked his head with a contrived leer. "Little late for that, huh?"

Eyes wide, Fiyero vibrated with rage, and Elphaba slipped between them before he could throw another punch at Avaric. "That's enough. Both of you. You're making a scene."

They eyed the growing crowd with feigned indifference, but Fiyero nodded tersely. "Let's take this outside."

"Gladly."

She rolled her eyes. "Not exactly what I meant."

Her hesitation left her swamped behind the onlookers, and even her bony shoulders had difficulty pushing her way through. She rocked on her tiptoes to see over the others.

They postured, circling each other slowly until Fiyero paused to roll up his sleeves. "I should have done this ages ago."

"Finally decided she was worth your time?"

"Worth more than yours."

"Least I was man enough to give it to her."

"I think we all know what kind of man you are," Fiyero sneered. "Given your past."

Avaric's laugh was dry of humor. "Of course. Your skewed memory again." Avaric's eyes were cool and calculating. "She didn't belong to you anymore than Elphaba does."

Fiyero snarled at him and launched across the small courtyard. He slammed Avaric into a tree that shook off half the withered leaves. Avaric grappled for a hold, but Fiyero used his larger build to his advantage. They fell at each other in earnest, clearly holding nothing back.

Elphaba redoubled her efforts to break through crowd, desperate to stop them before they killed each other. She'd almost reached the front when Fiyero delivered a bone-shattering kick to Avaric's ribs. He crumpled back to the ground with a groan. Wild-eyed, Fiyero hauled him up by the collar and shoved him back in the brick wall.

Before he could take another step, Elphaba broke free and rushed in between.

"Move, Elphaba."

Elphaba shoved him back. "Stop it, Fiyero."

"You're actually protecting him?" Fiyero flung his arm out, appalled.

"What? I'm supposed to stand here and watch you pummel him? For some mysterious past than neither of you will breathe a word about?"

"He tried to kill you!"

She rolled her eyes. "He didn't try to kill me. He was just being an idiot." She glared at him. "Something you should be sympathetic with."

"Well I'm not." Fiyero stepped forward aggressively as Avaric staggered clumsily to his feet. "I don't have a shred of sympathy for that piece of filth, and if I have to watch him touch you one more time…"

"You'll what?" Avaric coughed. "Beat me up some more? Go ahead."

"Gladly." Fiyero lunged toward him, and Elphaba shoved him back. "Yeah, you got a lot of talk hiding behind her."

"Elphaba, get out of the way," Avaric ordered, oblivious to her glower, and snapped back to Fiyero. "You've been dying for this for months, huh. You know why? You ought to kick the crap out of yourself. It's your own damn fault you never did anything about her sooner."

"You arrogant piece of-"

Elphaba pushed Fiyero back a step and spun to Avaric. "Just shut up. Quit egging him on." Avaric's teeth clicked shut sullenly. "Oz, you two are insufferable! I'm sick of both of you!" They studied the ground as she chastised them. "Now are you going to tell me what this is really about?"

She glanced from one to the other, but they didn't move their eyes from the gravel.

"Of course not," she huffed. Elphaba turned to Avaric. "Come on. Let's go."

"You're not going anywhere with him," Fiyero growled as he clamped a hand around her arm.

She whirled on him with a fierce expression. "Quit muscling everyone around." She snatched her arm back. "You can't just refuse to talk to me and expect to me to do whatever you say. You want me to stay away from him? Tell me what the hell you two have against each other."

Fiyero's jaw tightened. "He's trouble."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, he's hardly the only one." Elphaba turned away, and Fiyero grabbed her arm again, this time gently.

"Please."

She softened along with him, an urgency straining her words. "Then tell me what happened."

"He drow-"

"Don't give me that!" She exploded in frustration. "Why do you hate him? What could he possibly have done?"

Fiyero's lip twitched. He glared at her shoe.

She spun to Avaric. "What happened between you two?"

Avaric shuffled sideways a step, leaning heavily against the desiccated tree.

"Ugh! I can't…" She fought to control herself. "Fine. Just fine. Let's go."

Fiyero reached for her again, but she glared a challenge at him. He slunk back. She helped Avaric stand with a more powerful jerk than necessary, and he winced. The crowd broke up in time with the fight, leaving the way clear for Elphaba to haul a limping Avaric toward the infirmary.

As they rounded the corner, Avaric hung his head, his adrenaline clearly failing him. "He's right," he coughed, blood oozing from his broken nose. "He's right to hate me."

"Yeah, well, he's not the only one at the moment."

"You're right, too."

She sighed. "I don't hate you. So shut up and focus on not falling."


	21. Fault

AN: Yay, I have internet again! Sorry it took so long. Longest two weeks of my life...

* * *

Elphaba stumbled with Avaric's dead weight slung heavily on her left arm. He fumbled to open the door, and she shoved his hand away. "I hardly think this is a time to worry with chivalry."

Avaric snorted, and grimaced as pain radiated from his broken nose. "I'm surprised enough you didn't tell him to finish me off." He staggered into the corner, and she hauled him away from the wall. "I'm sorry, El. I wouldn't blame you for leaving me here." She rolled her eyes. "I doubt anyone would."

"I'm not leaving you to bleed all over the floor. Now quit talking and try to walk straight."

He sighed, limping a little more evenly. "What about your shirt?"

"Huh?"

"I can bleed on you, but not the floor?"

She huffed a laugh. "Haven't you been trying to get this shirt off me anyway?" He smiled, which only widened his split lip. "Shut up before you bleed yourself to death."

He squeezed her shoulder and fell silent until they reached the infirmary. "Thanks, love. I'd kiss you if I weren't disgusting."

"If you really want to thank me, you could tell me what Fiyero has against you."

He studied the wall behind her. "You'd better get out of here. Madame Morrible's going to want an excuse, and I'd rather not suck you into the lie."

"Lie?" She tilted her head. "You're not going to tell her the truth?"

He cocked his head to match hers. "Of course not. What do you take me for?"

"But…you hate Fiyero. Why wouldn't you want to get him in trouble?"

Avaric shrugged. "It's a guy thing. He'd do the same for me. Probably." He glossed over her skeptical look and struggled up the steps. When she followed, he turned, frowning. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going with you. I'd like to know if I should start planning your funeral."

"El-"

"I know, I heard you." She caught his hand. "But I'm going."

The look he gave her softened her expression despite his bloodied visage. He squeezed her hand and brought the other to trace her cheekbone. "Now I really wish I could kiss you."

She rolled her eyes with false annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, Casanova. In you go. Let's make sure you still have all your vital organs, first, huh?"

It took several hours until Avaric had been properly examined, interrogated and admitted. Though he'd balked at a night in the infirmary, he'd taken great pleasure into stripping into the hospital gown and tossing his clothes at her. Madame Morrible didn't believe one bit of Avaric's impossible tale, and if he hadn't demanded adamantly that Elphaba had only arrived after the fact, she would still be squirming in Morrible's Horrible Death Stare.

As it was, twilight was falling by the time she slipped from the building to head home. She fell into a silent reverie as she tried to process her perspective on the events of the day. Such that she almost screamed when a hand caught her wrist.

She spun away and aimed a swift kick at her attacker.

"Elphie." Her eyes widened at Fiyero, knocking her off-balance, and she tumbled into his chest. She almost choked at the smell of whiskey drenching him. "Sweet, wonderful Elphie."

"You're drunk," she stated, and he laughed.

"And you're beautiful. Are we done with the obvious?"

"What are you doing here, Fiyero?"

He gestured to the infirmary. "I guess he'll live?"

She nodded guardedly. He huffed, but the self-conscious dip to his head exposed the pang of his conscience. Fiyero didn't look much better than Avaric now, disheveled and exhausted. "We'd better get you home. You look terrible."

He smiled. "So blunt." His arm snaked around her waist, preventing her attempts to lead him toward his dorm. "So honest. So beautiful."

"Yeah, I'm fantastic," she bit out dryly. "Now let's go."

He let her lead him, but kept his arm secure around her waist. After a meter or so, he stopped. "Why him, Elphie? Why'd you pick him?"

"Not this again," she muttered. She faced him. "Fiyero," she warned," I don't think we should-"

"Why did you side with Avaric?" His sadness radiated like a contagion, and she sagged beside him. "Over me?"

"I didn't side with him."

"You did."

"I didn't." She shook her head for emphasis, but he caught her chin. Her voice came out a whisper, "I just…didn't side with anyone. How can I if neither of you will tell me what happened?"

His murmur was as soft as his fingertips along her jawline. "You used to side with me."

She gaped uselessly at an answer, and his lips descended toward hers. Her reactions were paralyzed as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. And then he kissed her. For all the warning, it still jolted her. His lips were soft against hers, a whisper of kiss just realized enough not to be dismissed, and she shivered.

He kissed her again, slow and soft, and she couldn't even care that the taste of whiskey clung to his lips. Then he combed her hair back just as she'd jealously watched him do with Galinda a thousand times before, and she staggered back.

"We shouldn't. Galinda-"

"I can't lose you." He leaned his forehead into her. "Not to him. Oz, not to him."

Elphaba snapped her head back. "I'm not just some toy for you two to fight over." She shoved him away. "Never mind that your girlfriend is my best friend. Never mind that you're screwing with everyone here. All you care about is him."

"He's my fault." Fiyero's fist opened and closed under his close scrutiny. "I should have taken care of him a long time ago."

"Why? What is it he did?"

"I should have known. I should have never let him near her." She had to bite her tongue not to rush him along, half-afraid if she interrupted, he'd come to his senses and never tell her. He caught her hand with an urgency that spread past the booze-induced haze. "Don't think less of me."

"Why would I?"

"Elphie." He kissed her fingertips. "I won't make that mistake with you. I'll keep you safe. I promise." He leaned a heavy head against her shoulder. "I drank too much."

She rolled her eyes, "Obviously."

"Come on." He staggered to his feet. "You're taking me home."

After another long, swaying walk awkwardly half-carrying a different irresponsible male, a very grouchy Elphaba finally found herself tugging Fiyero up the stairs to his dorm.

"Elph," Fiyero wheezed, and she groaned at the thought of that future nickname. "Can I ask you something?"

She hauled him past the final step and huffed, "Why? You never answer my questions."

"Do you love him?"

"Oh, for Oz's sake," she swung around to face him and sent him reeling against the post of the banister. "Fiyero, would you even have the slightest interest in me without Avaric to punish?"

He swallowed meekly. "Yes."

"Well that's convincing." She stalked toward his room, tugging harshly on his elbow. "Goodnight, Fiyero."

"No kiss?"

She glared at him and sent him forward with a not-so-gentle shove. He collapsed into his door.

"Guess not."

She stormed down the hall, contemplating the many ways that men suck.

* * *

"What do you want?" Elphaba crossed her arms at Fiyero leaned against her doorway.

The long, sleepless night had given her plenty of time to think. Oz, she longed for the days when her worst problems were how to balance her homework with her recreational reading. Now she'd been sucked into some melodramatic love triangle…square…trapezoid that would rival the best of the Cozmo romances her roommate so adored.

"I wanted to apologize." She lifted an eyebrow and jutted her chin out in aggressive approval. He'd better have a good apology. "Can I come in, or should I grovel in the doorway?"

She contemplated it a moment, but decided privacy from her gossiping neighbors won against indignant spite. She stepped aside.

"Thanks." He ran a hand through his hair as she locked the door in her new habit. "Elphie, I'm so sorry. I was a real ass."

She nodded.

"And I was drunk."

"I noticed," she replied dryly.

"But I shouldn't have been. And I shouldn't have hit Avaric…so much."

He struggled with the last bit, and she sighed. Now he'd blame the alcohol for kissing her, and they'd pretend the whole thing hadn't happened, stranding her in the dark for eternity on the source of the feud as they passive-aggressively punished each other and her by proxy in constant denial of the root of their issues.

"I apologize for my crap behavior. And I understand if you're mad, Lurline knows you have a right to be, but I'm not sorry for kissing you."

She jerked her head up in shock, and his grinned his adorable lopsided grin.

"Only for the circumstances." He stepped closer and brought his hands to either side of her face. "Kissing you is the one right thing I've managed to do in a long while."

He tilted his head toward her, and she blurted out, "What about Galinda?"

Fiyero sighed. "Galinda."

"She's my friend. I can't just break up her relationship." Guilt flooded through her at the knowledge of how heavily she and Avaric had tried. "We can't-"

Fiyero stopped her with a soft kiss. "It's not your fault. Galinda and I have been done for a while. We're just going through the motions, apathy more than anything else. And I guess her obsession with popular opinion. I'm not proud of that, but it's true. I've had feelings for you for a while. I just wish I would have acted on them sooner."

"If that's true, why didn't you say something instead of fixating on Avaric? How do I know this isn't just another way for you to hurt him?"

He flinched. "First of all, I would never use you like that. You should know that. That's more you little boyfriend's show. He's the lying, manipulative snake. Kumbricia's broom, he deserves to be hurt. I hope he is, but with that heartless ass I can't imagine he would be."

"So what, you wouldn't stoop to using me against him because I couldn't hurt him? Thanks." She crossed her arms. "Way to make a girl feel special. Sometimes you're the most thoughtless jerk I know."

"I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know I don't deserve you either. But at least I tried to stay away."

"Like when you kissed me?"

"Better me than that clown."

"I see," sarcasm rippled through her voice. "You'll protect stupid little me against the mean, scary man only to drop me afterward because you're 'not good enough' for me either."

"I didn't say that."

"And what? I'm supposed to thank you for ignoring me for the past six months before all this?"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"Isn't that my decision to make?"

He scowled. "Yeah, just look at your decision-making." She flushed, and he caught her arm, pulling her toward him. His voice found a placating tone, "Wouldn't you do the same for me? For Galinda? How can I say I care about you and stand by while you do something stupid?"

She blinked up at him "What are we talking about now? Him or you?"

"I don't know." Fiyero sighed and released her. "Both."

"You don't make any sense. You want me, but you don't. You don't want me with Avaric, but you won't tell me why." He started to interrupt, but she held up a hand. "You'll do me this huge favor of stealing me from him with the premise that he's this villain, but you don't trust me enough to actually tell me why."

"Can't you just trust _me_?" He scrubbed a hand through his hair hard enough to turn his scalp white. "Why can't you believe me he's trouble?"

"Why can't you just let me make my own choices?"

"I don't want you to end up like her. I can't lose you, too."

"Like who?!" She exploded, her voice echoing oddly in the still hall. "I don't get your code. Oz, I can't take it anymore. You don't want to lose me? That's exactly what you're doing."

"Better mad at me than dead."

She shoved him into the doorknob. "Oh, great. Another cryptic remark that you'll refuse to explain. I'm starting to think this is all a big lie. Just another way to screw with me. He probably just burnt a waffle of yours or something." Fiyero's face ticked in a half-snarl, half-scowl, and she pressed her advantage. "Or did he take the last of your shampoo? Maybe he threw away your geography homework in the third grade and you're still pissed at him."

"He killed my wife!" Fiyero slammed his hand into the door hard enough to rattle its hinges. "He manipulated her and seduced her and shamed her until she couldn't tolerate it. He stood there and watched her kill herself and did nothing. He's a rapist and a murderer, and he should be shot for what he's done. And now he's twisted you, and damned if I'll watch him do it again!"

She shrunk back, stunned. "Your wife? You…have a wife?"

"Yeah." Fiyero deflated, rage spun inward into shame. "Um, I was married at birth. It's my culture. An honoring of the old traditions." He hung his head. "You must think us barbarians."

"No. Of course not." She pulled him to sit beside her. An awkward silence settled. "So, did you…live together?"

"No. And we were never, um, together. Not like that. We weren't ready yet. But…it's my fault. If I'd been more…"

She laced her fingers with his. "Avaric?"

Fiyero nodded. "He seduced her, in my own bed no less." A fiercely tangible pain radiated through him such that Elphaba winced in its intensity. "He used her and left her and made damn sure everyone knew it."

"So she…what?"

"She threw herself off the top tower," Fiyero confessed to the floor. "She couldn't take the whispers, the looks. Everyone knew. I told her it didn't matter, but…she couldn't stand it. I didn't make it in time to stop her. If I'd only been there…"

"It's not your fault, Fiyero."

His eyes were dark when they met hers. "That's right. It's Avaric's fault."


	22. Confession

AN: Sorry it took me so long. I'll spare you the long story of technical problems and just thank you all for your incredible patience.

* * *

Elphaba paced outside Avaric's door.

She shuddered to think what Fiyero's reaction would be to her coming here. She could almost see his face, hear his voice whisper traitor. Or was that her conscience? It's not that she doubted his word, but…she had to at least hear Avaric's side. She had to know.

She rolled her eyes at herself and knocked. It was only Avaric. What did she have to lose? She chewed her lip until the door scraped open. "You look terrible," she blurted.

Avaric cocked his head, heightening the shadows darkening his black eye. "Can't imagine why. Must have been my pottery class."

She reached a tentative hand to his swollen nose. "Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?" She winced, and he squeezed her shoulder. "I'm fine, El. I've got enough painkillers to take down a Rhino. Should take away most of the swelling by tomorrow."

"Your lip looks better."

He smirked. "Straight to business, I see."

She rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant."

Avaric gave a smug smile and slipped an arm around her waist. "So what does bring you here, love? Not that I mind."

Elphaba shifted uneasily.

Avaric took a step away. "What?"

"i…" She studied his shoes. "I ran into Fiyero last night."

"Uh, huh." He took another step back.

"And I guess you were right all along."

"Uh, huh." She fidgeted until he sighed, "What did he do?"

"He kissed me," she blurted.

She didn't want to look, but she had to see his reaction. Avaric's face stayed smooth, and only a tightening in his eyes betrayed his unhappiness.

"This morning, too." The words tumbled from her like water now, and she was helpless to stop them. "He said he stopped wanting Galinda a while ago. That it wasn't anyone's fault, but isn't it? It's my fault. I feel so guilty. Why did we do this?"

Avaric pressed his lips together for a millisecond and drew a breath. He caught her hand. "Don't feel guilty." She peered up at him with wide eyes, desperately wanting him to convince her. He traced her cheek tenderly. "You shouldn't feel bad for having what you want."

"Thanks." She worried the edge of her shirt, unable to approach the next conversation. How does one ask their ex-kissing partner if he's a killer?

Avaric scrubbed a hand across his mouth. "So. I suppose you're off with Princey-boy then?"

Elphaba leaned back, stung by the bitterness lancing his words. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He paced to the window. "I'm happy for you."

She frowned at the obvious incompatibility with his demeanor. "Oh..kay."

"Just don't expect me to come to the wedding," Avaric's caustic words made even him wince. "I mean, I might've for you, but I can't handle seeing that buffoon with," he shifted his eyes, "anyone."

"What…why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad." His cool tone grated on her nerves as he transformed back into the total jerk he used to be. "Why would I be?"

"Well, we were…you're not…jealous?"

"Right," he scoffed. "No offense, love, but I can do better than Fiyero's leftovers."

She crossed her arms. "Sorry you got saddled with me for so long." Avaric looked away and sighed. "I didn't mean to be such an imposition, but as I recall, this was all your idea. I thought this was the whole point of it all."

Avaric spun back, a finger stabbing the air in fierce reply, but he held his tongue.

"So what, we're going to fight about this now?"

"Why bother?" he bit out coldly. "Nothing worth fighting over."

She found her back pressed to the door and wondered how he'd maneuvered her there without her notice. Her eyes narrowed. "Fiyero told me."

Avaric fought the curiosity leaking into his facial expression in favor of his cool arrogance.

"About his wife…"

The shock that slid across his face was priceless, but in a moment, he'd refrozen the cold smirk in place. "Well, so then you know."

"You're not even going to try your side of it?"

He gave a sullen shrug. "No point. Go on. Run off to your prince."

"What happened to friends deserving a chance to explain?" She shifted her weight toward him slightly, but he retreated and locked his arms. "Or are we not friends now? We're only friends when it serves your purposes?"

Avaric lifted his eyebrows condescendingly and gave a dismissive half-shrug.

"Figures. I don't know why I even came here. I should have expected this from you."

He took a hostile step forward, "Yeah, maybe you should have."

She yanked the door back and stormed through it. How could she have been so wrong about him? She half-turned in the doorway. "So you really…this was all about Fiyero? All of it?"

Avaric stared blankly at the wall behind her. "Apparently."

* * *

Elphaba wrapped her arms around herself. She spent too much time in hallways.

Fiyero answered the third knock, his rumpled hair hanging in his eyes. "Elphie? What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?" He took a step back, and she slipped under his arm. She shifted her weight, blood still boiling.

"You alright?"

He pressed a thumb to her cheek, and she flung her arms to wrap around his neck. She hauled him down to her for a fierce kiss, but Fiyero pulled back.

"Okay, don't get me wrong, that's…wonderful, but you look really mad. Like, scary mad. What happened?"

"Nothing. Just kiss me."

He did, but the slow, gentle tenderness grated on her. She tried to deepen the kiss, but he resisted. Frustrated, she pulled back.

A pang of guilt demanded she ask, "Have you told Galinda about us?"

"Not yet."

"Fiyero! She's my best friend. I can't sneak around kissing her boyfriend behind her back."

"But you're the one…" Fiyero took a calming breath. "I'll tell her. I promise."

Elphaba fidgeted. "When?"

"Do you want me to go now?" He took a step toward the door. "I will if you want me to."

She softened at the earnest expression on his face. "You don't have to go now." She linked a hand with his. "Just promise you'll tell her."

Fiyero brought their hands to his mouth to brush a soft kiss on her fingers. "Yes, ma'am." He wound his free hand through her hair to the nape of her neck. "Anything else I can do for you?"

She blushed. Her eyes settled on his lips.

Fiyero tugged her to him for a long, slow kiss. She let the warmth of his hands wash over her as he wrapped her in his arms. But her guilt kept interrupting.

"How mad do you think she'll be?"

He sighed. "Not very. I think." Her face oozed skepticism. "At least if we do this right. Maybe we can convince her that it's her idea."

"How could we possibly do that?"

He shrugged, "She does love to play matchmaker."

"But I already have a boyfriend." A darkness flashed over his face, and she bit her lip. "I mean, as far as she's concerned."

"So break up with him."

His commanding tone grated on her, and she snapped, "I will if you will."

"I already said I'm going to."

"Fine." She stepped back and leaned against his desk. "I don't think we should manipulate Galinda." Her conscience pricked her at the hypocrisy, but she soldiered through. "I thought you were opposed to manipulating?"

"This isn't manipulating, it's…" He shifted. "Fine, you're right. We'll just have to let her be mad."

"We don't _have_ to."

Her obstinacy faltered at his hurt expression. He buried his hand knuckle-deep in his hair. "I thought you wanted this?"

"I do, but…" She bit her lip. Honesty. She'd done enough misdirecting him lately. "I don't know if I can do this. I mean, Galinda is the best friend I've ever had."

"What about us?"

"Maybe we're not meant to be together. Maybe I'm not meant for happy ever after."

He scoffed. "Who's that talking: you or Avaric?"

Her eyes narrowed. "For your information, Avaric said he was happy for us."

Fiyero's jaw dropped. "You…you went to see him?" His pained betrayal radiated through the angry glare he directed at her. "You actually went to see him even knowing what I said."

"I wanted to know his side."

His eyes were cold. "So you didn't believe me."

"I didn't say that!"

"You said enough."

"Fiyero…" She tried to grab his hand, but he pulled away too quickly for her.

"Stay away from him."

She set a hand on her hip, returning his scowl with one of her own. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to let his lies turn you against me, too."

"Stop bossing me around." Her eyes flashed. "You need to let the past go. I'm not going to be a ghost. I won't be just some substitute warm body."

"No, you're too busy running off to him."

Her hand itched to slap him. "You're such an ass."

"Oh, I'm the ass?" He leaned in. "At least I never killed anyone. Can your little boy-toy say the same?"

"He's not my-ugh!" Elphaba stormed over to the door before the urge to murder him overwhelmed her. "Bye, Fiyero."

"So you're just leaving?" He crossed his arms. "Two guesses where you end up."

She glowered at him. "Why stay and have the same argument? I'm leaving before I say something I'll regret."

"Elphie," he drew a deep breath, "come on, don't leave."

She sighed. "Look, you're never going to let this thing with Avaric go, and I can't ignore Galinda. So I guess we're trapped. Maybe this was all a mistake anyway. I guess I thought, I don't know. That everything would work out for us. Like magic, or destiny, or something. But obviously it's not."

"Elphie…" He held out a hand to her, but she neglected it. He grasped her hand and placed it in his open one. She hung her head, and he pulled her to him. "Baby, it's just not that easy. Doesn't mean it won't work out. That we're not right for each other. You know more than anyone that nothing's ever really easy."

She rested her forehead to his. "You can say that again."

"Don't go?"

"Fiyero…" She pressed a soft, gentle kiss to his lips. "I can't stay now. Not like this."

"Why?"

She met his gaze sadly, and she could practically see the reasons separating them reflected in his eyes. "I think you know."

"You'll come back, though? When it's all done?"

She squeezed his hand and slipped out the door…

…and into a pink sweater with blonde hair.


	23. Bars and Boys

AN: Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are awesome. It may be a couple weeks before I can post again since we're leaving for Dublin Wednesday, so I made this chapter extra-long to make up for it. Thanks again.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Elphie?" Galinda asked curiously. Her eyes darted back and forth between her friend and boyfriend.

"Um…" Elphaba knew her expression couldn't pass for innocent to a blind man a hundred yards away.

Fiyero cleared his throat. "Galinda, we need to talk."

Without even wasting time on an excuse, Elphaba vanished down the stairs before either could stop her. She would rather be drowned than suffer through this talk.

She had enough sense to flee the building before either conscience or companions could reach her, and her feet continued their comfortingly mindless rhythm with no set destination except _away_. If only that rhythm could drown out her thoughts.

She sighed. Great. Now she'd ruined her best friend's relationship. Galinda would hate her forever, and for what? After the last half hour, she wasn't entirely convinced that their future had the shelf life of three-day old milk.

All thanks to Avaric. This was all his fault. If he'd just left her alone, she'd be nursing her crush in blissful silence, harmlessly.

Arrogant waste of a perfectly good cerebellum. How could he be so dismissive of her? So cold? After she so generously gave him a chance to tell his side. She didn't have to do that. If anything, that only caused her more problems.

She snorted. That word was practically synonymous with his name in her vocabulary. Problems.

Elphaba turned, surprised to see her surroundings. Her agitation demanded she could use a drink, and her subconscious had directed her to the one place she knew that provided such – the club from Galinda's party.

Tuesday night found the place half-empty, and she made it to the bar without problems. She seated herself at the end, elbows out in the classic body language of avoidance.

"What're you having?"

She pursed her lips. Not the little lightweight drinks she normally sipped at. Tonight she wanted a heavy-duty sucker-punch to the gut drink more to Avaric's and Fiyero's style. She leaned toward the bartender. "What's the best liquor for a personal apocalypse?"

He smiled and reached for a glass. "One of those nights, eh?"

"You have no idea."

He poured a generous amount of some amber liquid and slid it down the bar to her. She held the glass up to take a drink, but the strength of the smell stopped her. She wrinkled her nose, and the bartender laughed.

"Better to take it in one shot. It'll burn less that way."

She wasn't entirely sure she wanted it to burn at all, but she gathered her courage and downed the glass with one swallow. Her throat flamed, and she coughed, eyes watering.

He laughed louder and poured another. "That one's on the house. Hell of a shot, girl."

"What is this?"

She swirled the glass, regrouping for round two, and with a deep breath, gulped the second glassful. It had no more mercy than the first.

"Trust me." Another glass skidded her way. "You don't want to know."

* * *

"And then his girlfriend walked in-" She hiccupped a sniffle. "-to me."

"Ouch." Bartender polished the counter with a rag. "Did she know?"

"No, but she's going to. And she's my roommate. My best friend!" She fumbled the straw around an ice cube to suck noisily on the last remnants of her drink. "My only friend, thanks to Avaric. Ass."

"Avaric?"

"Remember? The schemer?" She surrendered the straw, unable to best the ice. "Can I have another?"

Bartender patted her hand as he took the empty glass away. "Might want to slow down, girl."

She waved her hand dismissively, swaying a little. "Shouldn't have trusted him anyway. Don't know why I'm surprised. Ooh, clear." She spun the glass with a giddy smile until her suspicions flared. "Hey, this isn't water, is it?"

"Course not." Bartender spun a bottle with dizzying flair. "Special vodka. Just for pretty girls like you."

Maybe she was drunk because his compliment brought a giggle that she was shocked to find came from her. Until her face fell with the dizzying speed that only the truly intoxicated could appreciate. "Why doesn't he think I'm pretty?"

"Who? I thought the problem was that guy _did_ want you."

She shook her head. "Not Yero. Ass-ric."

Bartender chuckled.

"Why do I care?" She swallowed her special vodka smoothly, immune to any kick now. "It's not like it matters what he thinks. I hate him. You know what? I don't care."

Bartender nodded sagely.

She pouted. "I don't." Her tiny straw slurped the bottom of her cup and came up empty. She tilted the glass toward her new friend. "Drink?"

He refilled the glass, and she grinned.

"Whatcha drinking?"

She swung her head in a heavy circle to glare at the guy who'd plopped down beside her, and it took a moment for the ceiling to right itself. She meant to tell the guy off, but it came out a truthful, "Pretty vodka."

He chuckled and leaned in. "Never heard that one before. But pretty sure describes you."

Bartender frowned. "Leave her alone, Riqu. She's a little young for you."

"Nonsense." He slid closer. "You just want to keep her all to yourself."

"Don't fight," Elphaba pouted. The last thing she needed was more testosterone-driven posturing.

Riqu laughed. "Yes, dear."

She scowled drunkenly at him. "Don't laugh at me. You suck."

He smirked. "Do you?"

"And that's enough from you," Bartender interrupted before Elphaba could work out the insult. "Maybe you should call a cab, girl."

"Aw, don't be a spoilsport. The fun's just getting started. She doesn't want to leave now."

Bartender crossed his arms, but Riqu turned his back to the bar. He tucked a finger under her chin, and Elphaba shoved him away. The laws of physics demanded a sacrifice, and that meant her shove tumbled her off the opposite end of her stool, elbow-first into the stool beside her.

Riqu laughed loudly and set a steadying palm on her thigh. "Careful, honey."

She struggled to sit up, but her new position left her sense of balance whirling wildly in confusion. And all the whirling was doing terrible things to her stomach.

Riqu smirked at her. "Right here on the barstools, huh? You're an eager little thing, aren't you?"

She glared at shoved at his hand, which upset her precarious position even further. She shut her eyes in surrender to the spinning force of gravity and prepared to meet the ground, but a pair of hands steadied her shoulders.

Bartender huffed from behind the counter, muttering, "Vultures."

The arms scooped her back to a sitting position, and she sagged against her rescuer's side as he declared, "She's taken."

The warm, strong arms wrapped around her fought off the dizziness such that she refused to open her eyes, but the voice felt familiar. "Fiyero?"

"Hell, no!" She peeked to see Avaric's sneer. "If it were Fiyero, I'd be swinging you over my burly shoulder and carrying you the hell out of this place. I'd be holding your hair while you puked and rubbing your back while you cried about how unfair life is."

Her head lolled back against him. "Where is he? That sounds lovely."

Avaric snorted.

"I'm mad at you." She declared drunkenly. "Go away."

He shot a look to their eavesdroppers. "I don't think that's a good idea." He turned to the bartender. "Two waters, please."

"No," she stuck her bottom lip out petulantly and appealed to Bartender. "This is Ass-ric."

"The lying asshole?"

Elphaba nodded smugly, amused at Avaric's expression, and swung back to her new friend. "Can you make him go away?"

Bartender frowned, but Avaric spoke first. "Yes, because clearly she's safer with this leech." He tucked his head closer to Elphaba. "Do you really want me to leave you like you were? You're drunk, and you're about two steps from getting felt up by Merv the Perv over here. Are you really that mad at me?"

"Yes," Elphaba glared. Avaric took a step back, but Elphaba stayed slumped against his shoulder. "Stop moving."

He chuckled. "How am I to leave without moving?"

"Fine. Stay, but be quiet. You're warm." She burrowed her nose in his chest. "And you smell good."

Avaric's laugh vibrated against her. "There you go again. Always using me for my body."

"Mm, nice body." She snuggled her way under his jacket. "Stupid mouth, but nice body."

"Thank you," he whispered, arms snaking around her. "You're not so bad yourself."

She scoffed. "You don't think so."

"I do," he kissed the top of her head. "Trust me, I do."

"What happened to 'not worth fighting over?'"

"You're right. I am stupid." Avaric kissed her forehead. "And wrong."

Her face crashed. She was right. He didn't want her. "Don't care," she threatened, though her hurt face clearly said otherwise. "I don't like you anyway."

Avaric leaned back, surprised. "That's right, I forgot." Avaric cool demeanor returned, and she frowned. "You're Fiyero's little toy now."

"Toy." She glared. "That's exactly your problem. Everyone's just your toy."

"Me? You're the one toying with me. Though I'll concede it's my own fault."

She scoffed. All this arguing was making her thirsty. She turned to get Bartender's attention, but Avaric caught her hand.

"Any drunker, and you'll pass out."

She scowled. "What do you care?"

"I care." He brushed a thumb over her cheek. "More than I should."

She huffed.

"More than Fiyero, that's for damn sure."

"Liar!" She shoved him, which knocked her into the bar. "You're the one who doesn't want me. Fiyero's the one who cares."

"Then ask yourself, where is he?"

"He loves me! He's probably out combing the countryside trying to find me."

Avaric fenced his arms on either side of her and leaned into the bar. "I bet he is. But has he? Why not?"

"I.."

"Why am I here, and he's not?" Avaric drew nearer, his voice softening. "Because I know you, El. And he doesn't. How can he care more if he doesn't know the real you? And not the superpower you. The 2 a.m. grouchy, insecure, adorable you."

"I'm secure," she bristled. "I'm just realistic."

He smiled. "You're not. You're idealistic, and you know it. And you're secure in your character, your presence. Honest, and uncompromising. One of the things I like best about you." He stepped close enough to bump into her knees. "The only thing you're realistic about is your beauty, and it's more pessimism than realism. That's where you're insecure."

Elphaba summoned all her infinite wisdom to slur, "Nuh-uh."

Avaric laughed. He combed back her hair and kissed her forehead. "Oz, you're adorable."

"Fiyero knows me, too," she argued. "And he actually wants me."

"Oh, I want you," Avaric's voice was low in her ear. "You have no idea how much I want you."

She shivered. "But before?"

"My stupid pride." He trailed a hand down her side. "I'm not perfect, as you're so quick to point out. But you can't believe I don't want you."

"You were pretty convincing," her tone doubtful.

"And now?"

She frowned. "I don't know."

"You picked Fiyero," Avaric shrugged. "Out of all people. And I should have seen it, but damned if it didn't kick me in the ass."

"You never told me your side," she pouted. "I just wanted your side. Why is everyone telling me I picked already?"

"My side." Avaric sighed. "Look, I shouldn't have to justify my past. You either want me, or don't. She has nothing to do with you."

"But…"

"No buts. Past is past. You're the issue, not her."

"You don't trust me?" Elphaba's face fell. "I just want to know. I want to stop picturing you the way Fiyero described it."

Avaric sighed. "Fine. But not because I want your judgment between me and Fiyero. I still think this has nothing to do with you."

She nodded clumsily.

"What did Fiyero say?"

She bit her lip. Could she say it out loud? Call him a murderer?

Avaric eyed her mouth and sighed. "How do you always do that to me? I swear, you're going to be the death of me, woman."

She blinked up at him, confused.

"Oh, don't try that innocent look. You have me wrapped around your little finger, and you know it." He sat on the stool next to her. "Sarima was married to Fiyero, that's true, but they were married at birth. Not exactly her choice, you know? And she cared about him, but they were more friends than lovers. I didn't know when I met her. I just knew she was a gorgeous, hilarious, wonderful woman that I very much wanted to get to know better.

"I admit when I found out their marital situation, I wasn't dissuaded. I seduced her anyway, but she was more than willing. Sarima loved me, despite her marriage. We were happy together. I could accept her life, and she accepted me. Fiyero fulfilled her public-life, and I fulfilled her private life.

"Until he found out, and he couldn't take it. He threatened to leave her if she didn't leave me. I tried to convince her to leave with me, but she wouldn't leave her comfortable life with Fiyero. The prestige, the power – it meant too much to her."

"Oh." Her voice was small. "And then?" Avaric hung his head.

"I admit," he hesitated. "I didn't take that well. If I loved her enough to share, I certainly loved her enough to fight for her. So, stupidly I tried to break her away from Fiyero by confessing our involvement publicly. I thought if she were disgraced, he would abandon her like the self-righteous cad he is, and she would be mine again. Foolish, I know. Selfish, too. But I never meant for her to…"

His voice broke, and Elphaba slid closer to set a hand on his arm.

"She…well, I'm sure he told you. I couldn't reach her in time. Only to watch her fall." He squeezed her hand in his. "Then, as I tried to handle my love's death, Fiyero did everything in his power to declare me a liar and a rapist, whose schemes were always his suffering and her disgrace.

"Maybe I'm still resentful that she chose him. And I hate him a little for that. That with everything between us, she would still choose a loveless life with him. Maybe I'm angry that he won, but he still didn't save her. Maybe I'm guilt-ridden that my stupidity directly caused her death. Whatever our past, Fiyero and I have plenty of reasons to hate each other, but our past has nothing to do with your future."

"Doesn't it?" Elphaba sighed. "I'm just the recasting of her role."

His eyes darkened. "Don't."

She blinked up at him.

"Don't demean either of you that way. She not replaceable." Elphaba winced at his glare. "And neither are you. If I just wanted anyone, don't you think there are easier choices than you?"

"Thanks," she slurred. "Jerk."

"True." He pulled her into his lap, and she rested her head on his shoulder, grateful for the support. "I can be a jerk. And you can be demanding, and frustrating, and a real pain."

"Way to win me over, Romeo."

"You're also beautiful and honest and compelling and brilliant, and I could go on. Neither of us is perfect, El."

Her last round of special vodka spiked in her veins, and she pouted. "Fiyero thinks I am."

"If you want a prince to worship you and serve you simpering like a gushy fairtale, by all means marry Fiyero, become a princess and pop out a couple babies to live happily ever after. I'm not going to love at you. If you want a real relationship with all the good and the bad, and someone who loves the person you are, stay with me. It's not less that I love you. Just realistically. So you choose, the dream, or the reality.

Elphaba thought about it. She clamored off his lap, thoughts whirling, and promptly passed out.


	24. Choices

Elphaba groaned at the sharp, insistent light pounding against her eyelids. She pressed a hand to her forehead, a futile attempt to stop the rampaging headache. Ugh, she would never drink another drop of alcohol as long as she lived.

Her bladder reasserted its presence, and reluctantly, Elphaba stumbled to her feet. She staggered toward the bathroom, grateful that at least her stomach hadn't rebelled beyond a vague, easily suppressed nausea.

It was only as she wrenched the bathroom door open and frowned at the absence of all things pink or puffy that she realized she wasn't at home. She assessed her attire and found a lacking in the pants department. The over-large shirt hung loosely on her thin frame, but she recognized it in an instant. Avaric.

Well, it wasn't as if she expected him to leave her there, passed out in some bar, but she was still surprised that he'd chosen his place. And he'd undressed her.

She focused on his nerve at removing any clothing without her consent to distract herself from the vulnerability she felt having placed herself in that situation. The least he could have done would be to hang around until she woke up to let her know where her clothes were.

She scavenged his room for them, tossing clothes and papers without regard. Why hadn't he just left them in sight? She toppled over a stack of books when she wrenched open his desk drawer, and one fell corner-first into her foot. She yelped and hopped back, only to slip on some relocated shirts she'd dumped on the ground. They did little to break her fall.

Scowling, she rubbed foot and rear in consolation. Stupid Avaric.

Her eyes fell on the book title, and she stopped mid-rub. R.S. Magle, the one she'd been reading when she'd teased his assumed illiteracy. Had he bought it for her? To prove something, or simply to have a shared interest?

Why did she find it so impossible to believe in his best intentions? What had he really done? Besides blackmailing her…and how had that worked out? Secretly, despite all her fabricated annoyance, she knew she'd wanted him to, or he'd never have gotten away with it.

No.

She pushed the thought away and rose clumsily to renew her search. "I've got to get out of here," she whispered, cheeks still flamed from her repeated embarrassments. If she couldn't find her clothes, she'd take his. They could swap back once she'd returned to her room, her home field advantage.

She added a sweatshirt to the loose cotton undershirt she already wore, camouflage for her lack of undergarments, and with glowing cheeks, liberated a pair of boxers from his top drawer. Tall enough for his pants, she feared her bony frame was too thin even along her hips to hope to keep them up. The elastic of the boxers slid dangerously low as it was.

"Please, don't let anyone see me," she prayed to some nonspecific deity she had little faith in. She cracked the doorframe to spy the hallway for onlookers - and added sunglasses. Damn alcohol.

She slipped out and eased the door shut with the softest click she could manage. She sighed. Now all she had to do was make it across campus without anyone waking up. It was still pretty early. Maybe she could do this. She turned around.

"Fiyero."

Damn. Of course.

"Elphaba."

She couldn't begrudge him the cold tone to his voice, and she spread her hands out in surrender. "I can explain."

He snorted. "Right. Course you can."

"We didn't…at least I don't think." She paled. "No, we didn't. Surely he wouldn't have."

Fiyero lifted an eyebrow.

"Look, I know you think the worst of him, but Avaric really isn't so bad."

"How can you say that knowing what he did?" He crossed his arms. "Or do you not believe me?"

"I do. But aren't our pasts our own business? I can't really hold that against him."

"Not at all. Our past is our personality. It's who we are. It's the truth. He can say what he wants, lying little snake that he is, but you can know for sure by the way he acts. What he's done with his life. We are all judged by the actions or inactions we've taken in life."

She wavered. "But he said it wasn't like that…"

"Oh, 'he said'." Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Because Avaric would never lie."

Her eyes trained on the ground.

"What does it matter? You've clearly made your choice." He gestured to her outfit, and she flinched.

"I told you, it's not like that. Oz, you're a stubborn brute." She pushed past him. "Not that it's any of your business, but I had a little too much to drink. Avaric took me home so I wouldn't be assaulted in the bar."

Fiyero scoffed. "So you could be assaulted by him instead."

"No!" She narrowed her eyes. "You only see what you want to see."

He caught her arm. "You think I want to see this? You think I want to see the girl I'm crazy about wearing some other guy's clothes? And not just any guy, but the one person in this world that I truly hate. All this after I broke up with Galinda yesterday to be with you."

"You said it wasn't about that."

He ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't. Not entirely. But of course it was partly for you. To be with you. Because you're the one I want." He brushed his finger along the back of her hand softly. "But only if you want it, too."

She swallowed. "And if I don't know what I want?"

He nodded sadly and squeezed her hand. "Come find me when you do." Three feet down the hall he turned. "Just stay away from Avaric. He's only going to hurt you." Before she could argue he added, "And find Galinda. She's having a fit that you didn't come home."

"What did she say? Is she mad? You know, about…" She swallowed unable to finish.

Fiyero shrugged. "Well, she's not happy. But she doesn't blame you. She thinks you're hiding from her, and she's all in knots about it. You should go talk to her." Elphaba shuffled nervously, and Fiyero took a couple steps forward. "Elphie, it's okay. Really. I told you I would protect you, and I meant it. What, do you think I blamed it all on you? I only told her about you because you insisted. I'll take the heat for this. Don't worry."

Her eyes flicked to his. "No, it's my fault, too. I'm not going to hide behind you."

"You can, you know." He set a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I wish you would let me."

She shook her head. "I don't need a glass case, Fiyero. I'm not so fragile."

"I know. But…" He kissed her forehead. "You deserve only the best of life. That's all I want to give you."

"You can't protect me from myself."

"I can try."

"I'd rather have a friend than a shield." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry."

He nodded and squeezed her hand. Without another word, he retreated down the hallway. She sighed. Off to face the music.

She distracted herself from her worries in the rhythm of her steps. No sense in dwelling on her execution. As for the rest, she found the unchallenging clop of her bare feet against the pathway a more pleasant companion.

All too soon she found the door to her room in front of her. She sighed and pushed the door open. Nothing flew at her, so she took courage enough to tiptoe in and whisper, "Galinda?"

A snuffle from the fuzzy pink bedspread answered, and Elphaba took a hesitant step forward.

She chanced a louder, "Galinda?"

The bedspread rocketed forward, spilling pillows and tissues in avalanches around it. A tussled blonde peeked out. "Elphie?"

For a moment, neither spoke, eyes trained on the other warily. Then Galinda, kicked the blanket away and launched across the room at her friend. "Elphie! I was so worried."

"I'm so sorry. For everything. I never-"

"No, I'm sorry," Galinda layered on top. "When you didn't-"

"-meant for any of this to happen."

"-come home, I was so worried, and I thought-"

"I never meant to hurt you. It just sort of-"

"-you thought, well, you know. I was so scared something happened to you."

"-happened. And it was a mistake. Please don't be mad."

"I'm sorry," they finished in unison, clutching each other's hands, and both fell into nervous giggles.

"Elphie, about Fiyero. I've known for a while. Please don't think I blame you. If it's anyone's fault, it's his. He should have been honest."

"No, it's my fault, too. I was a lousy friend."

"Don't. I may not be thrilled about it, but you're my friend. I want you to be happy, and if he makes you happy, then you should be together. Besides, there's this cute boy in Animal Sciences that I've been flirting with. Maybe now…" Galinda squeezed her hand. "Anyway, how did Avaric take it? When you broke up?"

"Um…" Elphaba shifted, acutely aware of her clothing.

"You didn't tell him?" Galinda frowned in disapproval. "Wait. What are you wearing? Fiyero said he hadn't seen you all night."

Elphaba avoided her friend's eyes. "That's because I was at Avaric's."

"Oh. Um, so I guess he took it well?" Galinda tilted her head, clearly at a loss. "Or did it take all night to break up?"

"Not exactly." She picked at the lint on Avaric's sweatshirt. "He doesn't want to break up."

"But you do?"

She bit her lip and met her friend's eyes. "Is it terrible if I say I don't know?"

Galinda patted the edge of her bed, crawling beneath the comforter. "Talk." Elphaba perched on the opposite side. "It's about time we had one of these."

She tilted her head.

"Girl talks." Galinda folded her hands on her lap. "So, tell me. And don't spare any of the juicy details." She made a face. "Unless they're about Fiyero. I mean, I'm okay, but not _that_ okay with it. Not yet anyway."

Elphaba shot a guilty look, and Galinda clucked her tongue.

"None of that. It's not your fault. People break up sometimes. I'm just trying not to dwell on it."

"I'm being a terrible friend. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not in the slightest." Galinda studied her nails. "At least not now. And anyway, I have Pfannee and Shenshen to complain to, you know. So I don't impugn your new boyfriend's character."

"About that-"

Galinda nodded encouragingly.

"Idon'." She'd tried to choose her words carefully, but they seemed to spill out in a great spew. Once she started, the words fell out of her like some possessed therapy. It felt good to let her doubts out after holding them in so long. Cathartic. "I don't want to hurt you, and whatever you say, I feel disloyal. And he's so…possessive sometimes. And I can't help feeling like something missing there. I wanted him so long, but like it's all been some…" Elphaba winced as she used Avaric's word for it, "fairy tale. Like it's all an allusion that going to fade, and then where will I be? And I thought I wanted him, but I really want…"

Galinda let her struggle a moment to explain before she offered softly, "Avaric?"

Elphaba sighed. "Don't even get me started on his issues."

"But I've seen the way you look at him. You're good together. And Avaric is delicious." Elphaba bit her lips together to keep from arguing. As much as she didn't want to believe it, it was true. "What did he have to say last night?"

She blushed.

"That good, huh?" Galinda giggled. She took Elphaba's hand across the bed. "So, who are you going to pick, Avaric or Fiyero?"

Elphaba sighed and stared up at the ceiling. What was her answer?

"There you are!" Avaric barged in through the unlocked door, startling them both. He stopped halfway across the room, eyes running over them both in Galinda's bed. "Oh, man. Please tell me I interrupted something."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want?"

"Good morning to you, too. And you're welcome, you know, for last night."

"Yeah, about that." Elphaba uncurled from the bed to advance on him, scowling. "What in Oz were you thinking?"

"Thinking?" Avaric took a step forward, unperturbed by her narrowed eyes. "I was thinking I'd save you from Super-Perv-o, that's what. Why? Are you mad because I didn't leave you there?"

Galinda neck swiveled from one to the other, and Elphaba bit her lip. "Um, do you mind giving us a moment?"

"Oh, yeah." Galinda climbed out of bed and donned a fluffy pink housecoat. "I should go see Pfannee anyway. Good luck, Elphie." She squeezed her friend's hand, shot a wink to Avaric, and shut the door behind her.

Avaric drew a deep breath. "I'm glad you're safe. You scared the crap out of me, disappearing like that."

"Me?" Elphaba crossed her arms. "You're the one that left. And took my clothes, might I add."

"El, please. I didn't take advantage of you. I prefer my women conscious. I thought we talked about this."

"Then why-"

"Did you want me to let you sleep in your clothes? They didn't really look that comfortable." He set a hand on her shoulder, squeezing when she didn't shrug it off. "And you couldn't exactly take them off yourself."

She shifted, and he set his other hand on her elbow.

"If it helps, I only looked a little." She blushed and shoved him away, but he laughed. "That's like a record for me. And trust me, I wanted to look. But for you…" His hands returned. "Out of _extreme_ respect, I kept my eyes on the buttons."

She worried her lip. "You promise?"

"Absolutely," his voice came out low, softened with sincerity. "Is that why my room looks like a tornado hit it?"

She pouted her bottom lip forward. "I couldn't find my clothes. So sue me."

"Small price to pay to see you in my clothes." He dropped his head to nuzzle her cheekbone. "Oz, you look sexy in them."

"Stop it." She struggled away. "I'm mad at you."

"Why?"

She crossed her arms. "You were gone when I woke up. You left me there, all half-naked, no clothes in sight. Trapped."

"That's a fantastic image, you know. Are you sure you're mad at me?" She glared at him, but his smile was unrepentant. "I just went to get breakfast."

"Yeah, right. You're Mr. Romantic."

"For you? You're damn right. And did I feel like a putz? Absolutely." He held her elbows, nudging her toward him. "But you deserve romantic. And if that's what you want, that's what you'll get. See what you do to me?" He drew her closer. "You, Miss Thropp, have ruined me for other girls, and it's not fair. We haven't even had sex, and you have me whipped." He kissed her forehead. "Stay with me," he whispered against her hair. "Be with me. I can change. I'll even be a tool like Fiyero, if you want. Anything. Just say you'll give me a chance."

She rolled her eyes.

"I would if you'd ever shut your mouth long enough."

They both stared at each other a moment, processing her words, until he laughed. "Yes, ma'am."

She met him in a long, sweet kiss. How did he always get to her? Make her laugh, make her angry, melt through her defenses like mist. He read right through her, and as irreverent as he could be, he had as much potential for sweetness and a uniquely sincere respect buried in his miles of bull. Fiyero protected her, but Avaric touched her. Suddenly she felt as if that were the only important thing at all. "And if I don't want you to change?"

He narrowed his eyes. "This is a trick."

"Maybe I decided I don't want the fairytale." He grinned at her, but she placed a hand on his chest. "But that doesn't mean I want a jerk. The real you. Not the proud rooster you, and so help me if you make a pun…"

He kissed her cheek. "You know me too well."

"Serious, now. Honesty?" He nodded soberly. "No manipulation?" Another nod. "And you'll leave Fiyero alone?"

"If you will." He caught her eyes. "I learned my lesson about sharing. It only works if no one cares. And you, Miss Elphaba…" He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are the epicenter of my care."

"You better be serious."

"Deadly." Avaric tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, he's not going to like this."

She stiffened.

"You gonna be okay with that?"

She pushed the thought away. "I guess we'll just have to see." She'd deal with it when she had to. Right now, she just wanted to revel in finally having decided anything.

He waggled his eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind seeing something else."

"Please don't make me regret this."

"No promises." He took her hand, eyes on their interlocked fingers. "So, real boyfriend, huh?"

"Looks like it."

He caught her eyes. "This could be a disaster you know." She nodded. "Of epic proportions."

"Almost certainly."

He struck a thoughtful pose. "I like it. Sexy. Like a doomed tragedy. Or amateur porn. Speaking of, shouldn't we get started consummating our 'real' relationship?"

She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, 'real boyfriend.' Or do you prefer 'bona-fide boy-toy'?"

"You're damn right." He pulled her into his arms, kissing her with a loud smack. "Accept no substitutes."

The End

* * *

AN: I hope you liked it. I really enjoyed writing Elpharic, more than I thought. I'm considering an M-rated one if you guys are interested. Let me know what you thought of this one, and if you'd want to read more. Thanks to everyone who reviewed to all of you for reading to the end. I really appreciate it.


	25. Epilogue

AN: I wanted to let everyone know the new M-rated Elpharic, "Lost All Resistance," is up. This is a sort of epilogue that I was playing with at the ending of Substitute. Let me know what you think, and please drop over to read the new work. Thanks for reading.

* * *

The wind whipped Elphaba's hair in wild torrents as her cloak flapped enthusiastically in the squall. She clutched the broom handle and pointed toward the rain-slicked earth below her. Safer to wait out the storm below. Her magic still felt drained from her daring escape, and storms were always the most exhausting.

The Great Forest spread its fingers wide here in scattered tendrils of outgrowths, but the angry mobs a village might risk were easily threatened. Far more so than the raging torrent that surrounded her now.

An updraft caught her off-guard and flung her about, so many miles up in the air. Dizzying forces tore at her, tossing her like a rag doll in their iron grip, and she clung to her broom in a pathetic attempt to regain control. She lost sight of direction, the rain pelting her from seemingly each direction, and she struggled to control the urge to panic. She flashed back to that day at the lake. She'd been so convinced she was going to drown, and then Fiyero had saved her.

Fiyero. He was waiting for her, now, at Kiamo Ko. In some ways, she regretted her missed opportunity with him all those years ago. But maybe she'd chosen Avaric then because fate hadn't been ready for them to be together yet.

Even as she thought it, she knew it to be a lie. She'd wanted Avaric. And he'd been right then, the push she'd needed. No, she held no regrets for Fiyero. Avaric, on the other hand. It went as anyone would have predicted – badly. What else could you expect from two explosive personalities challenging the other in a constant battle of wills?

The torrent snatched at her hat, and in a reflex, she reached out to catch it. The motion toppled her final shred of balance, and with a whoosh, her broom plummeted toward the rocky ground below. She chanted a desperate spell before the impact could shatter her skull, her broom clutched so tightly her fingers were almost white in the fierce darkness.

The ground sped closer, a softer thistle clearing ringed by the sharp branches. So when she hurtled into it, it would only kill her, not mutilated her body into a shredded mess. She slammed her eyes shut and threw every ounce of her magic into slowing the rocketing broom. The impact shuddered up the handle first, and with a burst of dirt and a loud slam, she hit the ground shoulder-first.

Her body crumpled in a heap, pain screaming from every nerve ending in her body. She drew a painful breath and opened her eyes. She was still alive. She tested her body, finding it battered, but not broken. She staggered to her feet, shock reeling her vision in a dizzy blur, and she waved her arm out blindly for some sort of support. There was only empty air, and she tumbled back in a graceless pirouette, folded in half and only by the most generous of definitions, upright.

"Holy Kumbricia!"

She pushed herself back up, stumbling like a drunkard. Someone was here? Who? Thank Oz she hadn't landed on them and killed them. A man ran up to her, and she rubbed her eyes. She must have hit her head harder than she'd thought. That couldn't be-

"Elphaba? Sweet Lurline, is that you?"

"Av-Avaric?"

"What the hell? Are you alright?"

She straightened with difficulty. "Yes. I think so."

"What happened? How did you get here? Were you flying in that?" He pointed up at the fierce torrent still pelting them with rain like bullets. "Are you out of your mind?"

She scowled. "You ask a lot of questions."

He took a step back and wiped at the rivulets of rainwater that dribbled down his forehead. "Excuse me if I'm not used to beautiful women falling from the sky."

"Here I thought you had a ready supply of women constantly at your beck and call."

His face creased with hurt, and he took a step closer. "Yes, well, none of them were you, were they?" Before she could react to his sentimental response, he'd caught her arm. "Let's get in out of the rain."

"I don't melt," she hissed, "no matter what the rumors might say."

"I remember. Vividly." And the heated look he shot her made the freezing rain feel like steam. "But I'd rather not have to squint through a waterfall to see you. Come on."

She followed him out of the clearing and into a ramshackle shed, not at all the place she'd have envisioned the pampered Gillikin would have ended up. "I should really be going." Despite her words, she took off her cloak and shook off the rain that weighted the thick cloth. Avaric took her broomstick and hat, hanging them both by the door. A cozy fire cackled in a stone fireplace in the corner, and she edged toward the warmth. "Fiyero will be wondering where I am."

"Fiyero?" Avaric's forehead creased, and a perverse sense of superiority strummed through Elphaba. Was that what every woman felt at the mention of her new love to her old? Or was it because of the bitter ending they'd felt?

"He's gone to Kiamo Ko to wait for me. I should have been there hours ago, but this damned storm blew me off course."

"You're risking life and limb for that stooge? I thought he was marrying blondie."

Elphaba jutted her chin forward. "He left her. For me."

"Oh, well, there's a quality guy for you."

"As if you should judge."

Avaric busied himself rubbing the rain out of his hair. "Never left a woman at the altar. Towel?"

She shook her head, her wet hair plastered against her neck, and he rolled his eyes as he tossed it to her anyway. "I should go."

"So you said. But unless you're stupid, which despite Fiyero, I don't think you are, you won't try to take off in the middle of a squall like that." She longed to smack the arrogant smirk off his face, but he was right. He didn't bother to ask before he set a kettle over the fire. "Two spoons of honey for me," he doled them out along with the tea bags, "and a half spoon for you."

She accepted the tea determined not to acknowledge that he still remembered such a trivial detail of their lives together. "Why are you in the middle of the Great Forest in a rainstorm, anyway? I'd never have pictured you as the outdoorsy type."

His smile was enigmatic. "Never pictured you to be the romantic type." Her forehead crumpled in confusion, and he added, "Abandoning your life's work to fly off to your old sweetheart, settle down and have a couple princely babies."

"Who said any of that?"

"You're going after Fiyero, aren't you? Little guess as to what he'll want."

"Not everyone is as crude as you are, Avaric." She stood, despite the tea he'd extended to her.

He stood, too. "That's not what I meant. Please, at least have tea before you go off to get yourself drowned." The tea frothed enticingly, and she took the warm brew against her better judgment. "Sit. Please."

"Only if you stop criticizing Fiyero."

He sighed, "Some things never change."

"You're right there. Some people never stop being obnoxious."

Avaric's eyebrow lifted with a proud glare that she knew all too well. "Or fail to make the same mistakes."

"Trust me, you're a mistake I don't plan to make again." A flicker of hurt crossed his face, and she softened. "I'm sorry. You have an uncanny way of getting under my skin."

That smirk came back, but edged with tenderness. "Oh, I know." He stepped closer, and the memory of his skillful fingers tickled at the back of her brain. "As you have for me."

She backed away to presumably check if her cloak had dried. "I should go. He'll be worried."

"Why?" She turned at the oddly earnest question. "You're the most powerful sorceress Oz has ever known. You strike fear into the heart of your enemies with your reputation alone. Oz, the Wizard had to declare you a public enemy, and that's barely slowed you down."

"Exactly. I'm an enemy of the state, on the run from all civilization. Normal people care about each other."

He rolled his eyes. "You should be more worried about him. That buffoon probably fell out of his own castle without you there to catch him."

"He's not an idiot."

"Right." She didn't bother to argue, and Avaric studied her a moment. "You really think he's worth you?"

The gentleness in his voice took her off-guard, and she stared at the cup of tea cooling in her hands. "I'm tired of running," she admitted. "He makes me feel like maybe I don't have to be the Witch."

"But you are, Elphaba." She glared up at him, but he covered her hands with his. "It's who you are. It's part of your strength. Why would you accept being anything less than you are?"

The air crackled between them, just as it used to, but she pulled away. "Maybe I should have chosen the fairytale. I ended up in it anyway."

"So you can just walk away? From everything that ever mattered to you." She lifted an eyebrow, and he made a disparaging sound in the back of his throat. "Not me. Oz. The Animals. Everything you've worked for."

"What good have I done?" She shook her head. "All I've managed anyone is a lot of pain, most of all myself."

He cupped her chin. "But don't you want all of it to be for something? You can't just give up now." She drew an unsteady breath, and he stroked a thumb over her cheek. "I know Fiyero's the easier way. And you're worn down. Believe me, I get that." Her curiosity over his presence in the woods piqued again, but he didn't give her an opening. "You're better than that, El. You've always been above the rest of us."

"I don't want to be." It was lonely, and cold, and full of self-doubt.

"I know." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "But you are."

For a long moment, she stared at him. Then with a sigh, she sat back. "Why do you have to be the most colossal jerk ever?"

He chuckled and dropped his hand. "People can't help their nature."

The rain had slowed to gentle drips, and she stood to retrieve her cloak. He handed her the broom and hat without comment, and for a moment, the pair stood awkwardly on the doorstep. "Goodbye, Avaric. Thanks for the tea." He nodded, and she stepped astride her broom. With a glance over her shoulder, she told him, "You didn't change my mind, just so you know."

But he had. And they both knew it.


End file.
